Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light
by Shadow Strabi-star22
Summary: Planet Zoralth gets attacked and 10 year old werewolf Star gets sent to a parallel universe. Captured by the GC of Cocoon, she is rescued by Lightning on the Purge Train. When Star felt that Lightning betrayed their friendship, she left the group and returned to stop Lightning's execution, gaining back their lost trust. Join them as Lightning fights against odds to get Star home.
1. Prologue

**A/N**:Alright the start of my new story: _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Technically my goal is for the story to become a trilogy like the Final Fantasy XIII series with a special story to end. I am hitting the ground running and following my character Star (who I have made up myself) as she is trying to get back home from Lightning's world.

_Words in Italics= telepathy spoken between the wolves. Werewolves in their human form can also use this ability._

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII characters except for my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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_** Prologue**_

Thunder rumbles off the mountains upon the world of Zoralth, home of many distinct creatures ranging from all sorts of sizes. The skies are dark, red lightning clawing their way across and flashing intensely. The Dark Forest was silent as the creatures' coward in fear, even the insects knew it was not the time to chirp. A sudden flash of red brightened the sky as the pattering of paws runs through the forest, the owner obviously in a hurry as he weaves in and out of the trees. Behind him a terrible roar sounds, the blast of wind from an attack and a mighty claw from an appendage rips through the earth, leaving scars trailing behind it._ Hurry, they are not going to last against that monster. Must warn everyone else! _The paws quickened their pace toward their destination.

A few miles far from the scene in a place called Lupin Meadow a group of werewolves in whichever form they chose, frisked around or went hunting or teaching young. A female wolf relaxes in the sun as she watches her kids play around, sometimes reminding them to play nicely. Her name is Silver and she is like the alpha female of the pack. Full of authority with a big heart, she has respect from her peers. Feeling lazy, she stretches then trots back to the den. Hidden in the den, was a sleeping child whose werewolf powers have yet to show as well as her potential. At the age of 10, she is really rebellious and full of mischief however, the wolves love her. Her hair was fair and black. Her brown eyes in contrast to her tanned skin were to die for, the perfect combination. On her forehead was a little star-shaped birthmark, no one knew how she obtained it.

_Star. Star honey, time to come play with the others. _Silver popped her head in, walked over to the little bed and tried to nuzzle her child awake. "Not now mom," Star moaned as she tried to get out her mom's reach by sinking lower beneath the grass blanket. Unfortunately, her feet were sticking out so Silver decided to tickle them instead.

"Ok Ok I'm up! I'm getting up! Stop tickling me already!" Star laughed as she felt the furry fur rub against her sensitive skin, crawled herself up and out then gave her mom the cutest look a 10 year old could muster. _You_ _know that look does not work on me, but you are still the cutest._ Silver licked her face, eyes twinkling. _Don't take too long, your brothers and sisters are waiting to play._ She trotted out as Star got dressed.

The sun was bright that Star has to shield her eyes from being harmed. Taking a deep breath and switching to wolf form, she romped across the meadow and got attacked by her siblings, who were practicing how to pounce. _Come on sis!_ The kids squealed as they tumbled around her, _Teach us how to pounce!_ Star smiled. She loves her family so much. _OK here is how you pounce. _ Star crouched down and demonstrated the move, explaining as she went along. _Now you guys try. _The kids eagerly got into mode but before they could lift a paw, the ground shook violently. _What's happening?_ The members of the pack got together as Star and anyone younger got pushed into the middle. The skies turned dark and a shadow blocked the sun as red clouds rolled in from the distance and the wolves began to get jumpy. _Everyone stay__ calm._ Silver was at the head of the pack, noble as always. Her ears perked and her eyes scanning the place, slowly with concentration. The pack looked around as well, ears alert. Suddenly, a movement attracted their attention, and a werewolf burst into the clearing, running to the group. He stopped in front of the group and sat on his haunches, breathing heavily.

_Shadow!_ Silver met her mate as he took a breather and covered him with licks. _Not now honey, everyone is looking._ Shadow said, embarrassed by his wife's public affection. _Now's not the time, I need you all to find a sa__fer place. _He looks at everyone as they all looked at each other then back at their alpha male as he was about to explain what was going on. _There was this monster, so powerful and huge. I was prowling around and it just appeared out of nowhere. Luckily I was in wyvern territory and when the monster__ started rampaging, they all attacked it. They put up a tough fight, but one by one they started falling, that monster just plucked them out. _The werewolves murmured amongst themselves then listened for the instructions. _Look, everyone needs to leave, I kn__ow this place is our paradise but as I was running back, the wyvern lands were destroyed almost to bare rock and roots. We need to leave!_

"**I am afraid I can't let you do that, my little subjects**!" The werewolves lifted their heads to the menacing voice as the sun disappeared and demonic clouds thundered. "**I am enjoying the tearing of this little world. In a land full of ruin and creatures struggling to survive, their cries and shrieks is like music to my ears!**" A hellish arm appeared from the clouds, claws ready for plucking. "**I need more. Give me the satisfaction by annihilating you!**_ " Cheeky guy, he is faster than I thou__ght. _Shadow glowered with despair then he barked at the frozen pack._ Run! Run now you guys! Silver, lead the pack away. I'll keep him busy._

_No. _Silver trotted up to him and touched noses. _If __you are__ staying back to fight, I'll stay too. _ The wolves chorused as well, not willing to let their leader stay behind for them. _Thanks but you guys need to go. I'll keep him busy. _Silver shook her head and looked at him straight in the eyes. _ Remember our pack's motto? Never leave anyone behind. Once we stick together, our bond cannot be broken. _Shadow stood silent for a moment then replied back. _I understand. We are not going to fight it. We are going to run, run like your lives depends on it. Everyone needs to live for tomorrow!__ I know this place is our heaven but, I believe we will find a better place so get ready. _

"**Are you done talking? Ready or not, here I come.**" The arm went into action and plunged straight at them._ Run now!_ The wolves broke into a run away from their paradise. "**There's no escape for you!**" The arm impaled the solid ground and cracks split across the surface. Star was keeping up with the pack until one of her siblings Rhyder tripped and fell behind the group with the cracks coming up fast. Thinking fast, she skidded to a halt and rushed back to help him. _ Star! What are you doing?_ Silver, noticing her daughter running back stopped the whole pack and watched the scene with dread.

_Are you ok? _ Star has reached Rhyder and helped him to his paws. _Please sis__, _he whined to her, _leave me behind. I'm slow and clumsy and it'll slow us down. _Star snarled at him. _I will never leave a family member behind! Remember our family motto! Come __On!_ By this time the cracks have reached them and with an uneven surface below them, they kept falling down. Silver made a move to rush back and help them but Shadow grabbed her tail before she took off. _What are you doing? Let me go!_ She snarled at him but he shook his head. _We don't have time for them, wait and see. _She snapped her jaws irritable at her mate then looks back with a worried expression.

Star was right below Rhyder on a ledge, thanks to the shift in elevation as a gaping hole opened up and started to suck them into a vortex. _GO Rhyder! _Star shouts up, encouraging him as he struggles to lift himself out. _I can't! The force is pulling me in!_ Rhyder grappled to hold on, his claws sliding. The vortex was getting closer and closer. At the last moment and split second decision, Star used her whole strength and pushed him out of the hole as she losses her foothold and gets sucked in. Her brother tumbled out, rolled to a halt and looked back in surprise and panic as he watched his sister get sucked down into the vortex completely.

_ NO! _Rhyder cries out as he runs back as the hole closes over Star's head and the earth becomes even once more. _Star! Star! I'll get you out! I promise I will!_ He tries to dig at the spot where the hole closed up but his mother picked him up by the scruff as the pack ran off again as the arm started to destroy their paradise. "**GGGRRROOAARRR!**" The voice bellows as the arm retracts back into the sky after leaving a ruined landscape. " **Flee cowards! I shall be back again, so be prepared!**" The sky cleared up once more as the clouds faded away, leaving behind a deserted and devastated paradise as its inhabitants fled.

_It's all my fault. It's all my fault. _Rhyder sobs uncontrollably as the pack finally found a place to rest. The rest of the members tried to cheer him up but he continues to blame himself internally. _It's not your fault._ Shadow padded up and laid a paw on his son's shoulders. _It's not your fault._

_ Where am I__?_ Star thought as she drifted through the vortex of swirling light after she got sucked in._ I can't think...drifting o__ff..._ She closed her eyes and let her body be surrounded by the intense brightness of light. Somewhere else a shadow mesmerized itself and watched Star's body drift away on an imaginary current. It chuckled "**It has begun**" and disappeared.

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**A/N**: Done. Ok I know that sometimes prologues are not supposed to be this long but I wanted to set the mood. I felt that if I didn't address Star's childhood in the beginning then it just wouldn't make sense later on in chapters since I want her to address where she comes from and what is her background to others. Please leave reviews if you can. I am not forcing you to leave anything but if you do, it is very much appreciated! :P


	2. Chapter 1: Cocoon before the 13 days

**A/N**: Here is another chapter for all of you, from _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_ :P I feel like doing this story with more...thoughts and ideas instead of a generally action based and full of fighting aspects, not much character backgrounds.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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The town of Bodhum, full of exquisite things and a nice climate too was a visitor dreamworld. The city is propped on Cocoon, a floating artificial sphere above Pulse. Both worlds controlled by the fal'Cie, or god-like power. Besides the point, people come and go but not before getting a souvenir or something. It was not long before ever thing went down hill. Everything shifted...for the citizens and the Sanctum as inhabitants from Pulse attacked and ripped a large hole in Cocoon. This action caused the War of Transgression and since then the citizens live in fear as the Sanctum stays in controlled. That was 13 days...after the discovery of a lone fal'Cie. Here is what happened 13 days before...

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_Knock Knock Knock_.

The sound of light knuckles raps the door before it squeaks open and in pops a head. Wavy pink hair dribbled down the left side of her body just about shoulder length. Meet Serah Farron, 18 year old and mischievous this girl is really kind and sometimes childish. It was just about 7:00 in the morning and it was her daily routine to make breakfast and get her older sister to get out of bed.

"Light" She whispered as she quietly shuts the door and tiptoes around to the bed where her sleeping beauty sleeps. Her sibling makes no move at her call. "Come on Lightning," Serah gently shakes her shoulder, "It's almost time for work." Still no movement. _All right then. Maybe this will work. _Serah giggles slightly as she gets ready for a dangerous move. On the bed, there is a little stir as the owner creaks open a lazy eyelid to greet the brightness of the sun. Groaning she closes her eyes when her soldier instinct tingles. _What is this feeling? _Her azure colored eyes are wide awake now darting around the room with her face still planted in the bed mattress. _ It's not a monster...Oh crap. _She tries to move fast enough but didn't make it.

BONZAI! Serah pounced and landed on her with a huge belly flop. She giggled as her sister exhales sharply then turns and shoots a death glare in her direction. "Good morning!" Serah rubs Lightning's hair with affection before tumbling off. Lightning groans then got out of bed. At the age of 21, she really was a gorgeous person, with pink hair tumbling down her left shoulder. Her azure colored eyes are icier than Serah's but they do warm up once they meet their lighter twins. Lightning yawned and her younger sister found it as an opportunity to tease her.

"Light, your yawning is really cute I wish you would do it often!" Light's face blushed a bit before she retorted. "Alright let's not waste time in the morning on how every little thing I do is cute. Get ready for school." Serah smiled, hugged her then said, "I'll meet you in the dining room" and left. _And maybe not let her come wake me up with that move. My__ back hurts. _Lightning grimace as she hobbles to the bathroom, holding her back.

Serah was setting the table when Light walked in, already in full soldier attire. Her cape flowed behind her and her weapon of choice, Blazefire Saber already in its holster by the door, locked at fully loaded. Only the best of the best are rewarded this prize, typical of Lightning, who soared through the ranks to become sergeant like a breeze . Serah was in Bodhum College, the smartest of smarts plus excellent grades and it really made Lightning proud. After breakfast, they went out the door to their destinations, Serah to college and Lightning to the Guardian Corps, a big corporation built by the Sanctum to protect the citizens.

It was on this day that Serah found the lone intruder called fal'Cie from Pulse and got turned into a I'Cie. Because of this incident, she obtained a brand by Pulse on her left arm. Afraid of what her sister would think once she returns, she hurriedly wrapped a cloth around the bicep. It worked and Lightning never suspected a thing, except that she returned really late. She got a really long lecture on being late and what would've happened if she never came home. It took so long that Serah fell asleep right then and there. Lightning decided to cut the lecture, carried her to bed and tucked her in, placing a soft kiss on the forehead before leaving.

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What they didn't realize is that this fal'Cie incident was not something you can take lightly. Days went by quickly and Serah did not bring up the mark to Light at all except on the day of Lightning's 21st birthday.

"Soo you deliberately came back to tell me that you turned into the enemy of Cocoon and now you want to get married to that big idiot Snow?" Lightning eyes Serah suspiciously as she waited for her answer, with her soon-to-be husband Snow stood behind her. "Sis…please" Serah eyed the floor nervously. "No" Lightning stood up, "As part of the Guardian Corps it is my job to deal with things like you!" She turns away, hands crossed as Serah runs out of the room crying.

"Lightning what is your problem?" Snow says angrily as he confronts her after his future wife had gone. Light whips back, anger in her eyes. "What's my problem? What is yours? How can you protect her when she has been infected and targeted as an enemy of Cocoon? Some husband you will be. I ABSOLUTELY forbid your marriage."

That statement rubbed Snow the wrong way, especially that last one. "Light listen…." "No You Listen!" Light counter attacks, slamming both palms down on the table. "Get out of my damn house." Snow huffs angrily then stomps out of the house throwing this comment over his shoulder. "Looks like I have to take care of her now."

_Some birthday that was. _Light thought as she cleaned up after last night. Serah never returned home and Snow went with her. She crossed the table and noticed a present that was not opened, the present Serah left for her after she ran off crying. Opening it Light got a survival knife, which was not as great as the gunblade but really thoughtful of her. Lightning sighed when a news bulletin popped up…

_"Top Story: The Pulse fal'Cie has been spotted." _The news anchor reported, "_Movement between Pulse and Cocoon has been unclear at first but rest assured it has been figured out. The Sanctum has ordered the removal of any I'Cie or other threats. They also want to mention that anyone who spots these phenomenon incidents, contact the Guardian Corps. Please keep in touch to get the latest update." _ Lightning's mind flashes back on when she saw the mark of the I'Cie on Serah's arm. _What have I done? Why didn't I stop her? Why didn't I trust her?_ These questions flashed through her eyes as the cunning soldier decides on what to do. Finally a idea pops in her head and it was a risky one. _But it's for her. _Lightning thought her eyes full of determination. _I'll rescue her. That Purge train is not leaving without me. _

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**A/N**: Done! Wheew that was a lot of typing, thinking and planning. I wanted this chapter to be about what happens in Cocoon 13 days before the event started. If you haven't played the game yet, it starts out with the Purge train but this chapter is solely based on what happened beforehand. Please, if you can leave reviews! :P


	3. Chapter 2: All aboard the Purge train

**A/N**: Chapter 2 is now up. Oh and I am going to write in POVs now. Don't worry I'll label on who is speaking. There are going to be normal parts then back to the POVs.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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**Chapter 2: All aboard the Purge Train_  
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_Star's POV_

The vortex yawned above a distant world as I fell out in my human form. I shook the dizziness away then looked back as it started to close up. "Wait, come back please." I shouted as I stretched out my hands but the vortex vanished. "Don't go...How do I return?" I was lost, completely on my own and almost on the verge of crying. There was no use crying so I decided to go and find the nearest town or if there was anything. My sensitive ears, werewolf or not, picked up the sound frequency of a nearby town. I decided to try out my chances and made my way over toward the noise.

I arrived at the town and it was pretty scary, especially to a 10 year old werewolf who had not been raised to be near anyone else except their own kind. It was kind of hard not to criticize and be bias to these creatures that look like my human form but in my mind, werewolves are better. I wondered around as people jostle by, doing whatever they need to do and ignored me except some guys but I avoided them. Who wouldn't want to look at me? My hair was tied up in a ponytail with a few strands cascading down my face on the side making me look a little older for my age, my T-shirt was as plain as ever, along with shorts with metal chains attached on the side. My shoes had many designs, like most tennis shoes. I was also wearing a small wolf-color jacket.

Hunger gnawed at my belly so I decided to get some food. Since I didn't have money, I got my food a different way. I saw a hamburger stand and walked up to it as the owner was handing own to another customer. I sauntered up, took a whiff at the aroma then walked off with my hands in my jacket pocket like I wasn't interested. In a dark alley I sat down to eat the two burgers I swiped off the guy.

_Why was I sent here? How do I get back? Will I ever get back?_ These questions swam through my head as I nibbled on the food. The sun was really high in the sky, like around 10:00 in the morning. Apparently I was still getting use to this community and it wasn't long before I got into trouble. After I finished eating, I found a water fountain and began to use to water to wash my face and some kids where playing soccer nearby. I wasn't interested in the sport so I paid no heed and continued to do what I was doing. Without warning, one of the kids sent the ball spiraling in my way and it smacked me in the face.

The other kids laughed at the kid who kicked the ball as I held my face and he walked over to pick up the ball. "Hey you should watch your surrounding." He said to me. What a bad idea. I looked up at him sharply and he did a double take, dropping the ball. The left side of my face was human, with a brown eye burning with anger however the right side was half of a snarling beast. With sleek black fur with white whiskers, the right half of the star-shaped mark on my forehead and the burning topaz eye fixing its gaze on the kid, a truly terrifying sight that paralyzed him . "Don't you EVER say that to ME!" I roared and the kid peed his pants. The other kids ran off, crying mommy and the boy ran off as well. I calmed myself down, the beast went back inside of me. The wound on my face has healed, the joy of werewolf healing powers. I didn't have that much time for I heard this...

_"Attention! Attention! All Guardian Corps and PSICOM get into battle mode. There has been an incident and it deals with unexplained phenomenons. Seal off the sectors and don't let this mysterious item escape. For the peace of Cocoon, we must get rid of any form of threat!" _I took off in my wolf form as fast as I could since my ears picked up flying vehicles coming in fast before my eyes saw them. They were on my tail as I ran, using alleys and other tricks to elude my enemies. _"Intruder spotted: A little black thing with white paws, white whiskers and a white-tipped tail. It's like darting around really fast. I advise for some GC soldiers with sleeping tranquillizers to get ready. We'll guide the target to the meeting place and meet you there. Over." _A replying message said,_"Copy that. Soldiers are in position."_

_ What is going on?_ I thought as I bounded along ahead of the vehicles, as they kept up. This chase continued until I realized what they were doing but it was too late. They steered me into this cornered area and before I knew it, I got hit with tranquilizers. I slumped to the ground and reverted back into human form. As I felt the drugs take effect, I drifted off to sleep and the last thing I saw was a silhouette of a silver-haired man then darkness.

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I woke up due to loud voices. My surrounding changed I was no longer outside, instead I was at a train station in a huge iron cage. Soldiers marched up and down or controlling the crowd. I grasped the bars as I watched people board the train. I decided to ask the soldier guarding my cage. "Hey, mister why am I in a cage?"

He looked at me through his helmet thing, stepped closer and said roughly, "It's none of your concern. You are the intruder and it is our job to get rid of you, little girl or not." That statement hurt me deeply and I clawed at him, managing to rip off a chunk of his armor. "Now listen here you," He looked really surprised at my strength, "When I ask you a question, you answer it politely. Who raised you anyway? A dodo bird or a pile of poo?" He got mad and pointed his gun at me but was stopped by a hand.

"Enough. Stop wasting your time with her." It was that silver-haired guy. The soldier saluted and went off only to throw one last hateful glance in my direction. The new man peered into my cage and I had to back off far away from him since he was too close and his breath smelled bad. "Look, girl. Don't talk to the soldiers without consent from me and don't you ever destroy property that does not belong to you." I looked at him through hateful eyes. _Who does he think he is, my mom? _ Suddenly the train gave a warning whistle and blew some steam.

"Looks like your ride is about to depart. You two, put her on." The man instructed two soldiers and then walked away. "Hey wait, I'm not done yet." I yelled after him before one of the soldiers gave me a shot with a sleeping effect. As they carried my cage and put me in place, my head drooped and I changed into wolf form, placing my head on my paws and wrapped my tail across my nose. The door closed and all I could see was darkness. I heard the last whistle of the train before it started to move.

_Why? Why did this happen? How do I return...return back home? _My head was full of longing of home, my parents...my siblings...everyone. The train continued chugging down tracks toward its destination and that was the last thing I heard before I was sound asleep. The feeling of home vanished as I moved farther and farther away.

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**A/N**: Done with this chapter. Please review and let me know if you like this layout of POVs of the protagonists! :P


	4. Chapter 3: Turmoil at Hanging Edge

A/N: Ok here is chapter 3. There was maybe some confusion in chapter 2 at the end, so I will say a thing or two to clear it up. Lightning was mad at Serah because, 1) she got branded by a fal'Cie and didn't tell her. 2)She is marrying Snow whom Lightning really dislikes. That is all.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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"_The 13 days after we awoke, it was the beginning of the end." _

-Oerba Dia Vanille

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The Purge train rattled onward, on tracks in a glass tube that seemed like they were suspended in the air. Scenery flashed by one after another, rocks of nearby canyons towered over as it chugged onward. Inside people of Cocoon sat next to another wearing robes to cover their facial features and were closely guarded by a PISCOM soldier.

"Hey are you sure about this?" Sazh, a 40 year old man with an afro whispered to Lightning underneath the hood. "Be quiet." Lightning answered back, her eyes darting back and forth as she accumulated a plan. "Humph good luck" Sazh said as he became silent. The train moved deeper and deeper along and came across this barrier. It broke through and the train shook violently like it derailed a bit and ended up in a district called The Hanging Edge. Lightning took this chance to execute her plan.

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_Lightning's POV_

There was chaos after breaking through the barrier as the PSICOM soldiers tried to bring order back to the frightened citizens, the perfect time to strike. I removed the robe and took out the soldier near me with a well aimed kick to the head since he was in my way. He crumbles to the floor as I moved to the next car, my gun blazing. These PSICOM soldiers were easy prey, falling one by one at my feet. "Lets move." Sazh and a group of men he rounded up appeared behind me as I opened the nearest door as the train continued and scanned the surroundings, my eyes as sharp as a hawks. My super trained ears caught the sound of enemies flying behind the train and started shooting.

"Give me that." I snatched a rocket bazooka from Sazh who was carrying it, aimed perfectly and fired. It hit its target, a thing worth cheering for but we didn't have time since a Manasvin Warmech came crashing down and cut the train in half. This machine is an annihilator for good measures, with sharp razor claws and a tail that shoots lasers, this scorpion-body foe was no match for me. "Come on" I was more than ready to tear it to shreds. "Not that way, Escape is the other way!" Sazh shouted after me but sighed and followed behind.

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_Star's POV_

The sound of crushing metal, items breaking and people screaming reached my ears. Bolting up I was still in darkness, in the cage. Machine guns and people shouting weren't the noises I enjoy hearing. _What's happening out there? _I sniffed the air around me, eyes gazing up at the train roof. _If only I wasn't locked up. _I angry pulled at the lock but it didn't budge. I sighed and sat back down. Suddenly a boom echoed and a sudden shake made my cage fall off the top and broke the lock completely. I kicked the top off and climbed out. Since I haven't walked at all my legs felt like jello so it took awhile for the feeling to return. The rumble also made a dent in the ceiling big enough for me to get through. I saw a path for me to get there since there were boxes and crates piled around me. _Time to get out of here. _Bunching my hind muscles, I jumped from crate to crate, boxes to boxes and leaped out of the hole, totally not prepare for what my eyes saw.

Destruction everywhere, a broken train and people lay dead or wounded met me as I stood there bewildered and aghast at the scene and for a 10 year old, this was no horror movie. I got stuck in a battle field, a war zone between government and its people. _I have to find someone quickly, I need help._ I looked around and noticed a big iron body in the distance. _That's my best bet then. _I took off running in the general direction of the object.

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_Lightning's POV_

I growled as I dodged the swiping of razor sharp blades. Sazh wasn't doing well either as he fires round after round of bullets. "Anything we can do?" He asked, annoyed and tired as he looked me. "Keep firing." I threw him a look then back at the monster waiting to tear us apart. "Hey, look" Sazh points behind the Manasvin Warmech as I saw a kid running toward us. Her hair in a ponytail and her brown eyes were focused on something, either us or the monster. "That kid's gonna be killed!" He looked horrified as the annihilator turned around and set it's eyes on the kill. "Not on my watch." I dashed forward as the monster pounced.

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_Star's POV_

I was running, running toward the giant metal object before I noticed two people. One was a woman, pink hair cascading down her left shoulder, an overcoat that covered a turtleneck shirt, boots, gloves with brass-knuckles and really pretty azure eyes. Her weapon was a mixed between a sword and a gun or maybe both I couldn't see that far. The other one was a man with a huge afro wearing a deep frown on his face, wearing a dark green over coat and some army pants of some sort. His weapon of choice were guns with magical bullets. My first reaction was relief since I believed that they would help me. That soon turned to fear as the monster turned its attention at me. I saw the women making a dash toward me as soon as the monster pounced, tendrils spinning as it comes down upon me. In shock, I skidded to a stop and did a front roll as the blades whooshed above me. I tumbled into a crouch as the monster turned around for round two. The other two reached me as I tried to slow down my heartbeat. "Kid you shouldn't be here, its dangerous!" The man said as he gave me a glance. "I know I'm sorry but I had nowhere else to go." I looked at him, balefully as if he accused me of being here on my own accord, which I wasn't. We were giving each other death glares, waiting to see which one would break first under the pressure of the others stare. "Enough you two!" The women snapped at us both as the whirling of mechanics came to life as the annihilator started to make its move.

"Lets rumble."

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_Lightning's POV_

I was afraid that she would get hurt but I was amazed by her moves, being able to stop and roll out of harms way, what a kid. Sazh and I reached the kid and he started to accuse her of being here without knowing it was dangerous. "Enough you two!" I snapped at them as the Manasvin Warmech roared to life. I bring out Blazefire Saber out of its holster in sword mode. "Lets Rumble." I somersaulted over the blades as Sazh fired his bullets. In the corner of my eye, I watched as the girl dodged and weaved around the attacks with admirable grace. I landed on the beast and stabbed my weapon inside the head. The machine went berserk as it tried to buck me off. I held on, pushing the blade deeper in. At last its movement came to a halt and it froze. I pulled my weapon out and sheathed it back into the holster before hopping off. "Well done Soldier." Sazh walked up and congratulated me. I nodded a tiny bit before I turned my attention back to the kid. She was really silent and short to. I knelt down in front in her and she looked back at me, those brown eyes were full of fear and anxiety.

"Who are you and where did you come from?" I asked point blankly, my eyes staring deep into hers.

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_Star's POV_

"Who are you and where did you come from?" I kind of flinched at her tone and her piercing blue eyes bore into mine. I felt as though she was searching my soul from the inside out. "Well...I guess I'll start with my name." I looked back at her, that ice cold mask of a soldier that has never smiled, which makes me shiver. " My name is Star and I am a 10 year old werewolf from the planet Zoralth." I saw her face lit up a little bit with curiosity as she waited for me to continue. "I was living peacefully until we were attacked and I got sent here. So now I need to figure out a way to get back to them." I looked at the two of them, silently begging for them to understand that what I said was true, since their facial features looked a little puzzled. "Well shucks..." The man rubs the back of his head in confusion, " I have never heard of this planet or of the whole werewolf race." My spirit dropped as he said that. "So will you help me?" I asked them both almost pleading, looking from one to the other. The woman pondered about what I said, thinking carefully on what to say since she saw my face was full of hope. Then she spoke, "I guess we don't have a choice. You can come or not just don't get in my way and don't expect me to bail you out of trouble." She spun on her heels and walked off. I exchanged glances with the man and we both trailed after her.

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**A/N**: Done. That was challenging to plan out. Still I liked it. Yes I know that Lightning is acting a bit... cold to her comrades but she gets better. Please review! :P


	5. Chapter 4: On the move toward Sanctum

**A/N:** Alright chapter 4 is here! Sorry if my tense was a little off in chapter 3. Thanks to _RoseWing-chan _for bringing it to my attention, I know what to work on in the upcoming chapters. If there are any other tense/grammar mistakes, chill. I'm working on it.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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_Previously, _

The war between the government and the citizens has rose to heights at the district of Hanging Edge. Star, kept in a cage during the ride, had stumbled out of the Purge train and teamed up with ex-soldier Lightning and a man named Sazh. Together they defeated an annihilator called Manasvin Warmech. Explaining her story to the other two, Star hopes to return home soon if she can receive their help. With no choice, Lightning allows her to follow the two person team.

And now...

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_Star's POV_

We trekked for hours on end in an area called Aerorail Trussway, a ravaged area damaged by military strikes that were apart of Hanging Edge. As we made our way across, we would encounter many enemies and other physical debris that were blocking our path. I have learned about my companions a little bit. Lightning, who was walking at the head of our team was from Bodhum and an ex-soldier of the Guardian Corps. She has a younger sister Serah, but she doesn't want to talk about her that much. Kind of like a lone, solitary person, she had that fierce look her face so I decided not to get in her way too much unless needed. She kept things to herself and would usually wear a mask of sheer ice , not literary but like a barrier to keep her emotions in check and not give out any personal information. The other one, Sazh was a father. His son Dajh was taken from him and after his focus was complete, he turned to crystal and was never seen again. I felt sorry for the man as I looked at him. He walked behind the two of us, you know as a way of covering our backs. His face was not very calm and he was always tired after a fight but I don't blame him. Aging, that is something no one can reverse, not even time. My mom used to tell me that growing old was mandatory, growing up was optional. I think she told me that because I am still a kid on the inside and out, no matter which way you looked at me.

"Look." Lightning's command made us stop and her finger pointed out toward a glowing green tower, several miles in front of us. Dozens of flying vehicles come and go from that place, it's beams of light flashed out and waved around. "That's our destination, the Pulse fal'Cie." Her voice held venom so poisonous, I had to hold myself from cowering in fear and backing away.

"Alright then soldier." Sazh said as he too stared at the structure. "I'm gonna say this right now and I'm not disagreeing with your plan but, what is your angle?" She looks at him as I looked at them both, my eyes darting back and forth between their faces. " My 'angle' is the Pulse fal'Cie. Nothing else matters to me. We are going to have a lot of enemies in our way and I don't want to hear anyone complaining." She stares at us through dangerous eyes then turns on her heels. "Still glad you joined?" I looked at Sazh with one of those helpless stares then fell into step behind Lightning.

"Didn't have a choice." Sazh commented before he followed us, sighing.

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Somewhere else in Hanging Edge in another area called Resistance Front, a group of citizens who called themselves NORA were in a tussle with some PSICOM soldiers who worked for the Sanctum. Their leader is a man named Snow, who is Serah's soon to be husband. After he and Lightning traded blows that day, he followed Serah to the beach. He pledged to protect her at all cost. But the day that followed, Serah got caught by the fal'Cie and Snow vowed to save her. So here he was, in charge of NORA and he was listening to a radio station.

"On behalf of the Cocoon citizens, " the Sanctum Primarch was speaking, " I would like to thank our brave Pulse pioneers and express our best wishes for a successful relocation. Your noble and selfless sacrifice ensures the continued safety and peace of our society. Were it not for this remarkable gesture, every resident of Cocoon, your friends, your family, your neighbors would be exposed to the dangers of the world below. By choosing to leave Cocoon and participation in the migration-" This is where Snow decided to crush the radio with his large boot, tired of hearing this speech. "Migration? More like Execution!" Yuj a member of NORA, joined his leader, clearly disgusted by the acts of the Sanctum. "Yuj," Snow warned looking at the boy, "You stay here and protect the people. They need heroes." His fist was clenched, eyes glimmering. "What's our motto?"

"The army is no match for NORA!" Yuj answered excitedly. Snow chuckled, "Attaboy" . He left the front to meet up with the others at another resistance point. It took awhile before Snow reached the area where there were more resistance fighters but once he got there, tons of people sat around mumbling to themselves, others polishing weapons. Some didn't even look like they cared anymore.

"We're losing self-esteem here, Snow." He turns his head as Gadot, one of his best friends, sauntered up to him. A flaming orange hair and really buffed muscles, Snow really respects this guy.

"It's ok, I'll handle this. Listen up Everyone." Snow clearly had everyone's attention now, "The PSICOM soldiers will be here any minute so I want you to join our forces. We cannot let them run us over any longer. Those of you that can fight, step up now. The rest of you stay here if you want." After he was done talking, dozens of Cocoon men lined up, grabbed guns and got ready for war. One member who were among the ones who joined was a woman, her hair the color of silver, her facial features showed the motherly kindness and when she stood up to go her son Hope, shocked and sad tried to pull her back, away from the front lines.

"Don't worry," she told him, "I'll be back." The truth was, she never did. During an incident, she shielded Snow from a bomb but the violence didn't end there. Just before she died, she informed Snow about her son and made him promise her that he would find and protect Hope . Snow begged for her to tell him more but she was gone. Unknown to Snow, Hope felt her death and saw her fall to her doom, in his breast was agony and then the harboring of a deep, deep grudge for the man he blames everything for started boiling. Luckily a girl named Vanille helps him along, boosted his self-esteem and together they stole a flying vehicle and made their way toward the Sanctum, leaving behind the terrible scene of the resistance.

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_Star's POV_

We were making progress, battling our way through enemies and keeping our heads high. Sometimes I'll be really tired and change into wolf form which annoys Sazh, because he doesn't pay attention when I morph and once it happens he trips over me, which is clearly not my fault because he didn't watch where he was going. Lightning would snap at us for fooling around but I would sit there with my ears drooping and stared imploring up at her with my soft topaz eyes. Sometimes Lightning looks away quickly before I gave her the 'puppy- dog' eyes but not this time. Her eyes softened up a bit and she told me not to fool around anymore. I wagged my tail and padded behind her while Sazh took the rear again, murmuring how easily I could change forms and he couldn't therefore it was my fault he has this huge bump on his forehead. I silently laughed as we marched on, getting closer and closer toward the towering ominous structure.

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**A/N**: Done. I was in a hurry with this chapter so I didn't want to write out the whole NORA scene. Technically, Snow tried to save Hope's mother before they fell since the bridge broke in half due to weak structure build due to missiles and they were sliding off. Hope watched from afar and he was heartbroken after his mom's death and now holds a grudge against Snow. So now everyone is heading toward the Sanctum building what is going to happen next? Stick around you don't want to miss this. Please leave reviews! :P


	6. Chapter 5: Battle Boss fal'Cie: Anima

**A/N**: nyaaha chapter 5 is here! (claps hands together) Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix

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**Chapter 5: Boss Battle fal'Cie: Anima**

_Star's POV_

We made it into the Sanctum HQ with no trouble at all of course. It's like a spiral prison maze full of traps and monsters. Monsters are annoying, I'm not talking about myself, but they're like constantly attacking us because they thought we were a weak bunch. At least we get extra training in and I learn a few new moves from Lightning since she decided to teach me about magic spells along the way. All I ever do in battles is bite my opponents and use my claws, nothing fancy but Lightning says it's not good enough. Sometimes when I do great in battle, she would praise me a tiny bit with a pat on the head or with an approval nod, but she always keeps that mask of ice on her face. After we defeat our enemies in battle, I would revert back into human form so that I am used to morphing back and forth between combat and non-combat. Technically I would always be prepared to pounce on the enemy because I changed into my beast form ahead of time and when there are no enemies, I would be in human form.

"Can we take a break?" Sazh asked as we continued down narrow hallways, tunneling deeper and deeper inside. Lightning would spare him a glance over her shoulder then replied, "We're almost there." We came across a door with a weird geometric shape. Our leader went to investigate it as we decided to rest a bit. As Lightning touched the door, it was like she got a little shocked. Her eyes widened a bit and she muttered, "I'm sorry."

"Wait, what did you just say?" Sazh asked as we walked over, his finger in his ear as though he was cleaning it out. She looks at us and said, "Take cover." "Hang on a sec," Sazh dove for cover as he shouted, "Ok do what you need to do." I watched him do his silly antic, knowing full well there was no way Lightning was gonna bust the door open so I focused my eyes back on to Lightning. Her hand was on the door again, eyes closed and was silently murmuring words that normal humans couldn't hear but I could and I couldn't believe that someone like her had the notion of saying the lines, "I'm so sorry. Please let us in. Please?" She has the guts of a well trained soldier to utter the words. It sounded like she was desperate.

The door complied, for it opened up with a lot of creaking, man they need to do regular check ups and oil the thing. We ended up in another chamber full of crawling beasts or robots or annoying creeps, fortunately for us, we were in the heart of the building. We could see gigantic stairs that went up to the boss's room, a humongous structure almost like the . "Lets go." Lightning led the way as we ventured closer and closer to the structure.

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_In another section of the building..._

"God there's no end to this" Hope was bashing the skull of a Pantheron with his boomerang, a biological guard dog or bloodhound while Vanille was using her weapon Binding Rods, which is a weapon with multiple rods enabling it to fling out and nab it's enemies. She flung the rods, saw them detach from the body and coiled around a pack of Zwerg Scandroid, these annoying dwarf creatures, defeating them. "It's ok Hope," She smiled sweetly as she helped him defeat the last Pantheron who decided to attach itself to Hope's leg and wouldn't let go.

"Thanks." Hope exhales deeply as they finally gotten the thing off and finished. Vanille smiles and helps him up. They weren't far from Star's group at all. "Just a little more to go." She said in the most cutest Australian accent a person would just fall instantly in love with. They picked up the pace toward the exit and found themselves in another chamber. This time there were a lot more enemies before and Hope just groaned with depression.

"Don't worry, your hero is here!" Both looked up to the sound, Vanille's eyes were full of wonder while Hope's were full of hateful vengeance as the owner of the voice jumped down to greet them.

"You kids shouldn't be here." Snow smiled at them though his eyes were dead serious. "You shouldn't be here either." Hope muttered darkly as he refused to look at the man. "What's the matter kiddo?" Snow placed his hand on Hope's shoulder which Hope clearly distaste, snarling "Don't touch me!". He walked past Snow saying, "Let's go." Vanille followed him and Snow lagged behind afterward. Together the group defeated the enemies and reached the next chamber room.

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_Star's POV_

We saw a person lying on the floor, unconscious. "Serah!" Lightning hurried over and picked her up after checking to make sure she was fine. "We need to get out of here." She walked to us with Serah in her arms but Sazh stopped her right there stating that Serah was not just a I'Cie but a _Pulse _I'Cie and should die. Lightning recoiled back, clearly not liking the idea. All of a sudden, a warm hand reached up and touched her face, making her look into those gently eyes, her sister's eyes. "You came." Serah whispered hoarsely as she smiled up at Lightning. "Of course I would." Lightning lowered herself to put Serah gently on the ground.

"Serah!" Both sisters looked to see Snow running over with Hope and Vanille behind him. Serah smiled warmly while Lightning had that cold stare as she mentally tried to stop herself from killing this man. Snow stopped, knelt down and reached for Serah's hand, apologizing for not being there for her. Serah shook her head, already forgiven him, then turned her head back to Lightning.

"_You can save us. Protect us all. Save Cocoon._" Serah looked deep into Lightning's eyes before her body became crystallized and she shed a single crystallized tear which fell into Snow's hands. "No." Lightning gasped after she saw her sister become solid crystal. We watched on, saddened and grief about what happened. Snow angrily clenched his fist over the tear crystal, then he spoke to Serah's crystal form, "Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams?!" Enraged, Lightning marched over and bringing her right arm back, gave Snow a right-hook punch to the face. _Ohhhh that gotta hurt._ I thought as Snow's body thudded against the floor. "Open your eyes and face reality!" Lightning stared down at him, her eyes flashing. "Serah's dead and there is no way to bring her back!"

Snow slowly got back to his feet and argued with Lightning about the possibility that there was a way to bring her back while the rest of us just stood there watching them go at it. Suddenly the door at the top of the stairs opened up, catching our attention. "Hey are we seriously going up there?" Sazh asked, his face clearly says all. Lightning huffed and walked past the rest of us, up the stairs. I followed behind, along with the others. We arrived in the room or should I say, throne of the fal'Cie in charge. Nothing interesting in the room, except this big huge rounded metal in the middle of the room. We approached it, suspiciously but it didn't budge.

Snow got down on his knees and started begging for it to return Serah back to us, but Lightning decided to use a more primitive approach, which was hacking. She charged at the thing and started swinging, the sound of metal against metal sounded all around us. "This thing doesn't give a damn what we say." Lightning continued attacking the thing. Finally had enough, she brought Blazefire Saber down and managed to awaken the fal'Cie as it stirred from its slumber. We soon found ourselves face to face with Anima, its arms buzzing with life and it looked pretty mad.

"Oh now looked at what you brought us into." Sazh complained as he drew his guns, Snow got into his so-called 'hero' position, while Lightning got into her regular pose as a soldier, clearly ready for battle. She looked at me, since I was cowardly standing on the sideline. She beckoned me over and I realized with a heavy heart that I had to join the battle. Hope tried to flee but Vanille pulled him back. I steeled myself, turned into my usual form fit for battle and joined Lightning, standing proudly by her side. "Good" was her only comment before the battle started.

Ok I'm not joking about this thing, but damn it took a butt load of time to defeated this creature because you had to destroy the arms first before you could attack the real body. Since Lightning and Snow were our best attackers, Sazh and I played as medics or as back up to help. We kept attacking, defending and healing, trying to hold out as long as we could. Sometimes I would get so frustrated, I darted in and unleashed a move Lightning taught me. I called it the "Flaming Star", I know really lame but here's how it works. I would run at full speed and my whole body would erupt into flames. It doesn't hurt and it would take the shape of a star. With my black fur and the red/orange color of the flames, I really looked like a flaming star. Anyway I dealt some heavy damage to the sucker before I retreated back into medic role.

Finally the beast fell and we were very tired, unable to keep ourselves up. "What's happening?" Hope cried out as there was a sudden bright light that blinded us. Then these tendrils attached to us and without us knowing, turned us into I'Cie. _What just happened?_ I couldn't think as we all plunged down into nothingness as the shadows shrouded over our heads.

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**A/N**: And Done! Dang this is a long chapter, but it was great for the imagery and the thrill of battle. Finally Star has shown you guys one of her moves but don't worry, there is more where that came from. Stick around, you don't want to miss the action. Please leave reviews and any questions if you are unsure about anything! :P


	7. Chapter 6: Branded by Pulse, now what?

**A/N**: Here is Chapter 6! Happy Hunger Games! (Rosewing-chan made me say that)

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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_Star's POV_

Dark. Completely dark. Nothing around me, just empty space and darkness. My head is hazy and I am starting to see vivid images. I can't tell what it is, wait I do. I see a beast, a floating world that is crumbling down. I see a crystal pillar. I blanked out.

Normal POV

The group awoke up in an icy subterranean environment. After Anima branded them with the I'Cie mark, it warped them to a different place on Cocoon, a place known as Lake Bresha. Now to group continues their quest as I'Cie, the enemy of Cocoon.

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_Star's POV_

Everywhere we looked, all we saw were mounds and structures of ice. I spotted the other half of the Pulse train after the annihilator chopped the train in half, one staying up in Hanging Edge, the other ending up in here. Everyone was on edge only because we were all strangers toward each other, one knowing a little to no information of the other. I started sensing the tension in the air and it's making me nervous.

"AARGH" Hope, being a bigger brat than I am when I get prissy started blaming everyone for our troubles."It's all your fault!" He shouted at Snow, clearly voicing his opinion and venting his frustration. "If it weren't for you and Serah, this wouldn't have happened!" Snow, hearing Serah's name being mentioned became agitated and aggressively advanced upon the boy. "Don't you DARE blame everything on her!" He easily scared the kid as he backed up away from the advancing man. "Stay away from me, I didn't ASK to be here in the first place." Hope held his head with his hand as he whimpered slightly. Snow sighed, deciding to take pity on the boy as Vanille went into comfort mode. "Ok enough, lets put our differences and problems aside and figure out what we need to do." Sazh, being the older one spoke up. Normally the man didn't like any bickering whatsoever, it gave him a headache. "Now what I want to know is, did any of you get this weird dream like vision?"

Now we were all pondering his question. "I think I saw the dream you described." I piped up. Everyone looked at me as I continued. "It was a little vivid and grainy but I saw this monster, huge and big. Then this floating world was about to collapse and the last thing I saw was a tall pillar structure holding it back up. That was it." Everyone went back into their thinking stage then one by one they nodded, agreeing that they too had the same dream. "Looks like everyone has the same Focus, since we shared the same dream." Lightning stated, her eyes moving back and forth as she continued thinking. "Hey guys," Hope said sounding urgent as he held his left hand, "I have this weird brand on my wrist." He showed it to us then we all examined ourselves. Snow has it on his left arm, Vanille on the upper left thigh, Lightning on the left side of her chest just above her heart, Sazh has it in the middle of his chest. I unfortunately didn't find mine until I decided to change into wolf form and Lightning helped me locate it on my back. It's so annoying when you can't see it, I was practically moving around in circles just to see it for myself but I couldn't so I gave up and reverted back into human form.

"As I suspected, we have been branded. We are no longer I'Cie, we are Pulse I'Cie, branded and given a focus to complete." Silent was met as we all fell into deep thinking. That didn't last long as a group of PSICOM soldiers barged into the scene with their guns pointed at us. "Put your hands up to where we can see them."

"Tch" Lightning scowled irritably as we all complied, slowly putting our hands behind our heads. "You guys deportees from the Purge train?" "Maybe." Lightning answered looking as if she didn't give a thing about what the guy was talking about. "What was that? Do you care to repeat that huh?" The captain moved up, thinking he was a bad ass dude and pointed the gun closer to her face. _Oh boy not a smart plan. _

"Nice gun," Lightning said in her sweet and sexy voice before she executed a flashy hand-to-hand combat sequence that sent the man flying back to his troops. "What the?" The troops were startled at their captains quick defeat then started firing at us. Seeing there was no way out of this, I was already in wolf form and quickly joined in the fray as Lightning was on the move, cutting down opponent one after the other. Reinforcement arrived and I quickly took care of them with 'Flaming Star' since they weren't "fire proof ready" HA. Lightning and I made a great team, the others stayed way out of our attack range as they watched the havoc we're causing. Soon PSICOM bodies and machinery littered the ground as Lightning and I returned to the others. "You know Star?" She looked at me a tiny bit and saw that I was licking a wound on my hand. She sighed and I met her gaze as she used a cure spell to heal it. "You and I make a great team so how about being battle partners for a bit? Just in battle, nothing else." I pondered my options then I replied, "Sure, why not." We smiled for a very brief moment before it had to be ruined by Snow.

"Hey if you two aren't busy chatting and laughing, lets move already. We have a lot to cover and a world to save" _Oh boy, Lightning does NOT take orders from anyone else, ESPECIALLY not Snow. _My face said all when Sazh, Vanille and Hope all evacuated and left Snow defenseless as Lightning decided to bully Snow with her fists, which hurts like crazy. After Lightning was done punishing him, we were on our way with Vanille trailing behind to help Snow with his wounds, which looked deadly serious. After a couple miles I stopped walking as I detected some faint scent in the air. Detaching myself from the group, I ran up ahead, zigzagging around items and fallen debris following the scent. Lightning and the others race after my bounding form across the field. Finally I stopped at the foot of Serah's crystal statue, which fell down after us and embedded itself in other crystal beds. The others stared wide-eyed at it then abruptly Lightning said her goodbyes to her sister and turned on her heels and refused to look back. This sparked another fight between Snow and Lightning and we watched them go at it again, sighing because Snow's an idiot for picking yet another fight he couldn't win.

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In the end, Snow decided to stay behind and try to free Serah from her bed of crystals and the rest of us moved on with Light and we left Lake Bresha behind and ended up in some old ruins. "Keep your eyes peeled and stick to the group." That last part was aimed at Vanille who wondered up ahead. She giggled and turned back to answer, "Oh its ok, lighten up!" Lightning just huffs in annoyance. Vanille didn't get far though because she was soon chased by a Garuda Interceptor which was this wing dragon creature that can breathe fire. We heard her scream than saw her running toward us with her predator close behind her. "God damn it Vanille!" Lightning swore as she charged at the monster. That fight didn't last long, with Sazh, Lightning and I using our combined strength.

"Well now, what did we learn today?" Lightning asked, her voice full of sarcasm as she looked at Vanille who chuckled nervously with embarrassment. We soon left the ruins and found ourselves an old airship. Sazh was our navigation air-pilot back in the days so he was put to charge of flying the thing. We were just cruising along and listened to the Sanctum's speech along the way. Lightning scoffed as she listened to his speech, clearly disgusted.

"What kind of a person would be so gullible as to believe in this rubbish?" I looked at her and smiled mischievously. "Why...Snow's personality definitely fits that description!" The whole ship roared with laughter. "Nice one kid." Sazh chuckled as Vanille wiped away a tear. Lightning patted my head, faintly smiling while Hope had a huge grin on his face. Our moment didn't last long for this foreign airships started shooting at us. Sazh gritted his teeth as he navigated through the beams of lasers. "Give me that." Lightning reached over the controls and started pressing the shooting-lasers-back button, hitting the target completely. "You did it!" Vanille exclaimed as we burst through the clouds, with PSICOM ships racing after us. "Go through there" Lightning pointed up to a big floating fal'Cie, it's tentacles of electricity dares anyone to get close to it. "Are you crazy?" Sazh looks back at her terrified, "We'll be fried!" "At least we'll lose the other ships." Lightning retorted. Sazh just shook his head as he dodged the best he could. Our predators tried to follow our trail, resulting in two being destroyed.

"Ha what losers." Vanille commented but then our tail got hit. Wrestling with the controls, Sazh brought the ship down beneath the clouds, a trail of smoke trailing after us. Back on the enemy ship, a man with silver hair in a ponytail watched the trail of smoke. "Sir," a PSICOM soldier approached the man then gave him a solute. "The enemy has gone out of range of our sight, I have sent scavengers to follow them." The man nodded in approval than continued to look out the window and the soldier hurried away, his eyes narrowing in thought.

Down upon the earth, our ship left a deep gouge with smoke still rising. We got out, all woozy and dizzy but still in one piece. "Oh my poor baby!" Sazh managed to bond with that ship but we couldn't stay long for the scavenger ships roared overhead. "Move out." Lightning issued the command and we were bolting across and blended into the mountain area with the scavengers zoomed overhead.

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**A/N:** Done. If anything does not make sense, please ask me. I will answer anything, but no spoilers. It will make sense in later chapters. **Please Review**!


	8. Chapter 7: Vile Peaks and Odin

**A/N**: Chapter 7 of _Howling Star_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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**Chapter 7: Vile Peaks and Odin_  
_**

_Star's POV_

We managed to elude the scavengers as we made our way across the mountains. Lightning climbed in front of us, stopping once in a while to help encourage us or wait for us to catch up. We were all tired but we trudged through without complaining, though Sazh couldn't help running his mouth a little too much. Since nightfall came, we decided to stop and make camp. "Hey Light," Vanille piped up as she helped Sazh with the fire, while Hope and I came back from our little food tour, our hands carrying different varieties of eatable food, "What do you wish accomplish here? What is your goal?" We all looked at our leader as she sat on a rocky ledge, one knee propped up, the other dangling off the edge in a lazy manner.

"My goal," She murmured before looking at everyone. "My goal was to rescue Serah, to bring her back safe. I have failed to do so and now we are running for our lives from the PISCOM. Now our focus is saving Cocoon, or so we think that is what we are suppose to do. My guess is that Eden is our next destination. Once we have reached that step, we'll see what to do next." She tilts her head up and we followed her gaze and saw Eden above us, a bright rounded sphere just like Cocoon. After dinner we all retired to bed, tired and finally longed for sleep. As everyone was snoring, I decided to walk around. I got up, stretched and tiptoed quietly toward the rock ledge. Climbing up in wolf form, I padded to the edge, shifted forms and sat down, my legs swinging down as I leaned back on my hands. My eyes scanned the whole scenery, taking in every little detail of the place. I raised my eyes up to heaven and saw a shooting star. I smiled to myself since my mom once told me that shooting stars were blessings. I continued looking until I heard footsteps behind me and I didn't need to turn my head to see who it was.

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_Lightning's POV_

I sensed something moving and so I cracked open an eyelid, saw Star tiptoeing past in wolf form. Not disturbing the others, I got up and followed her. Thanks to the moonlight, I saw her silhouette on top of the rock ledge, legs hanging over the ledge, her body leaning back onto her hands. Her head was tilting upward and I followed her eyesight, catching the shooting star as well as it flew past. I quickly climbed the rock face and walked behind her. She just looked forward but I knew she didn't need to turn her head to figure out that it was me.

"What's the matter? Can't sleep?" I sat down next to her, letting my own legs dangle and leaned back to rest on my hands. "Ya...well not exactly." She brought her knees closer to her chest and wrapped her arms around. "Its just...I have been hanging out with you guys for a short period of time and we have been together through out tough times. I wonder if I actually want to go home or stay here with the group." We stayed silent for a while, I decided to lay down a bit then I spoke. "Well whichever decision you decide on, stick with it. The world is not gonna stop and wait for you because you made a mistake and you can't change back." She looked at me through solemn eyes then placed her chin back on her arms. "Yea...I understand." She sounded so miserable and sad. "Hey," I rolled over and propped myself on one elbow staring at her, "I'll stick with you and whatever you decide to do. I will never let you stand by yourself." She turned her head slightly toward me and smiled a bit. "Thanks Lightning, you're the best." I faintly smiled. "Hey look," She pointed out into the sky as I sat back up and my eyes caught another shooting star flashing across the sky and disappeared. "Do you think there is going to be some meteor showers tonight?". I followed her gaze as a couple more showed up and disappeared as well. "I guess so." I wrapped an arm around her and being the stoic soldier-type, this gesture won't repeat itself. She leaned her head on my shoulder and together we watched the meteor shower shooting above us until we fell asleep.

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_Star's POV_

The chat Lightning and I had that night along with the meteor shower was the best night I ever had, ever since that fateful day I was sent here. I opened my eyes and Lightning was there, sleeping right beside me, her chest rising and falling softly with her breathing. I smiled to myself , quite happy to have met her. To me, Lightning was the only one whom I consider to be my best friend, almost like a motherly figure. Vanille, Sazh and Hope were just good companions. Snow...not so much. I'm not hating on the guy it's just that his personality wasn't my type, you know with the whole hero-macho. I sat up and started stretching in anyway shape and form. By the time I was done stretching, Lightning cracked open her eyes and heaved herself up to a sitting position. The others were cleaning up the camp and started to make their way over to us. I gave Lightning a quick hug since she was in the middle of stretching her arms and jumped off to join the group. She joined us afterward and took the lead as our leader and we were on our way.

After a few more miles with a lot of battling and curvy maze-like paths, we were somehow caught by the scavengers, they just dive-bombed out of the sky and released bullets. "Oh come ON, we were just getting started." Sazh complained as we started running for our lives. "Tch we don't have time for this!" Lightning roared as we took cover among some rocks, bullets raining down upon us. "What do we do? We can't stay like this forever!" Vanille shouted as we cover our heads as another round of bullets rained down. "God I need a rest." Sazh sat down behind his rock, resting his leg. Hope, Vanille and I just huddled together, wondering what to do. "I guess I'll stay here with the old man. You two go with Lightning, she'll keep you save. We'll meet again somehow, I promise." Vanille grabbed each of our hands, shook it then crawled over to the man and dragged him away into the bushes and disappeared. Hope and I looked at each other then carefully backed away after Lightning slipped away not too far away. The three of us ran off together as the scavengers decided to stop for the day and left.

Lightning, Hope and I stopped running and took a quick break. "Where is Sazh and Vanille?" She looked at us. "She said that she will stay with Sazh and she promised that she would try and get back together somehow." Lightning nodded than looked out toward the horizon. There were two massive peaks towering above us and beyond that was a city, its dazzling lights glimmering in the distant. She told us that the city was called Palumpolum. "We'll reach Palumpolum in two days if we start now." We continued as Vanille and Sazh continued their own journey, their path taking them to Nautilus.

* * *

Lightning, Hope and I continued through the rough terrain, climbing and jumping or walking. Unfortunately, Hope took too many breaks causing Lightning to become irritable. After too many breaks, her patience snapped.

"Why did you decide to come here anyway?" She was yelling at us now, fury blazing in her eyes. Hope and I tried to not back up under her harsh stare, our eyes on the ground. "I have NO time to babysit you guys. If you want to get tougher, DO IT YOURSELF!" At that last statement, her I'Cie brand started glowing and she drops to one knee all of a sudden. "W-What's happening?" She gasped out as the brands started to glow brighter and brighter, a kind-of summoning circle appeared underneath her. She jumped out and the pink light of the circle blinded us for a second before disappearing. In its place stood a massive giant, a warrior-like being with a horned helmet. His cape is attached to the right side of his back, flowing out behind him, his Ullr shield had no dents nor any other damages. In his hand, he wielded a double-bladed sword, menacing and deadly.

"No way!" Hope backed up slowly. "Hope what is that?" I asked him as my legs stayed in place, too paralyzed to move. "That's...That's Odin, the lightning-elemental Eidolon." He stammered out, eyes never leaving the being. "An Eidolon is a being that can be summoned by the summoner. Their like a servant, sent by Etro to help us." I scoffed and replied, "So it's almost like a salvation for the I'Cie? Is it a bad thing?" He shrugged, "Well...technically no...maybe." We weren't paying attention when this creature's eye twinkled to life and started moving. Lightning was looking up at Odin with wide-eyes then shouted at us, "Get out of there now!" Our eyes shot up as he approached us, his sword already raised to chop us up. Lightning got up and made a mad dash towards us, trying to reach and intercept the giant but she did not get a head start. Hope, in his clumsy way, fell on his behind and shielded his face for the blow since he was the nearest being and the source of the fueled anger Lightning had a few moments before the summoning.

I did not know what I was doing. My body morphed on its own and now I am standing in front of Hope, my teeth bared. I charged at Odin and we met at the line, his sword already in position to lob my head off. He swung and missed and I am running on top of his sword, gnashing my fangs as I ran. We both froze in opposite directions then in a split second, we were at it again, metal against teeth and claws. Hope watched as the battle clashes before his eyes. Lightning appeared and she watched as well, her eyes scanning both of our movements waiting for the best chance to join in. The battle raged on, sparks flew as we kept going, adrenaline making my blood pump faster and faster, the wind roared in my ears. Odin made a few jabs and swipes at me, some hitting the marks. I would hiss in pain when the dagger edges grazed my skin but continued to fight. "We should help her now!" Hope looked up Lightning. "Quiet...not now. Let's watch some more." Her eyes never left the battle, almost like in a trance.

* * *

_Why?_ I thought as the battle went on for hours. _I can't feel my strength anymore. My attacks aren't working at all!_ Odin made a fierce jab at my head. I evade the attack at the last moment as the sword made a cut across my face. Blood spluttered out from my wound as I cried out in pain. Not done yet, he continued to jab and swipe. I did my best to dodge and when his onslaught subsided, my legs couldn't stop trembling from fatigue and weariness. Both Lightning and Hope saw that I was on the verge on collapsing since I was teetering back and forth on my feet, but Odin did not let them have the chance of coming into the battle. It was like he could sense their urgency of aiding me in the battle so he decided to finish me off with his final attack, Zantetsuken. His sword became two, like two-halves make a whole and he started spinning in a whirlwind vortex, rose petals danced everywhere and lightning strikes fell out of the sky. It was pretty scary for a 10 year old werewolf but I didn't back down.

Vaguely I saw Lightning and Hope dash toward me, yelling some kind of words. I didn't understand what they said as I watch the whirlwind of deadly daggers and rose petals advance upon me. _I can do this! _My head bent low to the ground, my muscles bunched up, waiting for the right moment. _I will not collapse here, I was not born to fail!_ My eyes locked on to my target, not even flinching as I saw Odin in the middle of the spinning vortex. _I will NEVER Give Up!_

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_Lightning's POV_

Hope and I made a dash toward Star, yelling words that were covered up by Odin's Zantetsuken as we saw the whirlwind vortex. All that crossed my mind was the fact that Star was only a kid, my only partner and she was fighting all alone against a being that I summoned. I felt like a failure, tears were streaming down my face as I tried to save my partner. My voice was not reaching her at all but, I saw that determine look on her face, those feral eyes of the beast that will never in its entire live time bow to anyone else. She was not about to give up, there was still one more trick up her sleeve. _She better not get herself killed. _I saw the attack close in on her and I yelled at the top of my lungs, " STARRRRR!"

* * *

_Star's POV_

I heard. I heard her. I heard my partner's cry, her compassionate cry that is filled with longing and sadness. My eyes kept their focus on the enemy that drew near. _I can't mess this up_. My leg muscles bunched up more til I was actually crouching on the ground, waiting for my chance. As Odin came closer and closer, all my thoughts were washed away, no more thinking of death. _NOW!_ I hurled myself upward and somersaulted over the whirling mass, landing on my feet. Odin was almost surprised for his attack disappeared without hitting his target and he came charging back at me. _It's now or never._ I turned and rushed back, my fur lighting up with fire and I ran like a burning star. Odin raised his shield and met my Flaming Star attack full on. The impact caused a huge explosion, dust and debris flew up and covered the entire area. Once it settled, Lightning and Hope looked appalled. A huge crater was made, its combatants in the middle. Odin's shield lay broken, some bits and pieces were burned black. We were staring each other down, until I convulsed blood. Unknown to me, Odin struck his blade into my stomach quickly as I somersaulted over his head during his attack, the blade slipping in and then out like it never happened. It wasn't major at that time but as I released my attack 'Flaming Star', I failed to notice the wound enlarging. I fell on my side, breathing heavily as Odin marched over to where I collapsed. _Get up_. My mind was telling me as Odin came closer. _Get up you fool!_ I gritted my teeth in anger and I tried to get up, struggling while blood oozed out. I whimpered and whined with effort until I sensed Odin's looming presence. I looked up at him, his massive size staring down at me. I snarled angrily. He stared back and lifted his hand, the sword pointed downward ready to impale me.

_This can't be_. I was trembling. Cold sweat appeared on my face as I heard the sword being raised. _I can't die yet...not yet. _My head was bowed low, accepting my fate by his sword. I could no longer move, my strength had left me a long time ago. Odin brought his arm down, the sword whistling through the wind, driving straight down. I closed my eyes, my ears picking up the sound of the blade. _This must be the end. It is over. I...had…..failed._

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

Time stood still. Everything around me had moved really slowly, I couldn't breathe. I watched Star execute 'Flaming Star' then the plume of smoke sent debris and dust obscuring our vision. Once it was gone, I saw Star and Odin, his shield shattered. I saw Star convulse, saw her fall as Odin moved in. I heard Star whimper and whine as she managed to lay on her front paws before she froze. I saw Odin staring at her, raised his arm high above his head, the sword pointing downward. At that precise moment, I dashed toward them, Hope looked on, his eyes widened with surprise but he made no move. My legs carried me, driving me forward. I saw the arm swing downward, the sword whistling toward Star's bowed head, her eyes closed.

My eyes grew hazy, my mind no longer controlled my body. All that remains in my thought was _I must make it. Faster. Faster. Faster. Faster...Like the Lightning I was suppose to be. _The air screeched as metal clanged with metal. Star's eyes opened wide as she looked up. There I was, Blazefire Saber stopping the sword by mere inches. I gritted my teeth as my feet sunk lower and lower to the ground due to the pressure. _L-l-Light-ning. _I heard her, even if it was telepathy, my partner's desperate attempt to utter my name had reached me. I deflected Odin's sword and drove him back then quickly sinking to my knees beside her. "Star..." I threw my arms around her neck, my silver tears could not hold back. She licked my face and whined softly, her ears flattened on her head, tail wagging. I was crying, no amounts of "I'm sorry" could ever be uttered for my partner was in the worse shape she had ever been in. She understood me, she really did. She continues to cover my crying face with encouraging licks. Even Odin did not have the desire to hurt us, not after he realized the strong bond we had.

He plunged the sword in the ground before us, got on one knee and bowed his head, his right hand over his chest in a sign of defeat before disappearing into rose petals. Lightning held out her hand and a rose crystal appeared in her hand. Inside Odin resides until he is called upon again. I smiled to myself then looked at Star. She looks back at me before reeling back and fainting on the ground, reverting to human form. I quickly gathered her up in my arms and rushed back to Hope. We left the area and I looked back at the crater. _I almost lost my partner in that fight. _I thought darkly as I stared at Star's sleeping face, her arms crossed over her bleeding stomach. _I will never leave her again. I made that vow on the night of the shooting stars and I won't let this incident repeat itself again. _

* * *

_Star's POV_

_Everything was dark._ I must have fainted, Lightning must be carrying me for I no longer feel like I am walking by myself. My wounds still hurt, my arms covered up my stomach in hopes to shield from the cold wind that blew. I wonder when we will get to Palumpolum. I smiled unconsciously in my thinking with this last thought in mind, _I saved my partner, that's what matters to me, nothing else. _

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**A/N**: Done! Sorry that it was a long awaited chapter. Hope you liked it. Please leave **REVIEWS!**


	9. Chapter 8: More bonding time

**A/N**: Chapter 8 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadows of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except my own. Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

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_Previously..._

Star faced off against Lightning's Eidolon Odin to a brink of death match. Thanks to the strong bond between Star and Lightning, Odin realized the bond that ties those two together and accepted his defeat and joined their team. Lightning was proud of Star and vowed to not leave her again.

Lets continue...

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_Star's POV_

I woke up from my long sleep, to see that I was laying on a straw bed. Looking down I saw that my stomach was wrapped with bandages, my mind immediately flashing back to the fight. I sighed, burying my face in my palms trying to erase that horrible moment. _Thanks to my wolf power._ I stared at my palm. _I can heal my cuts in a flash however, _I placed my hand back on my stomach, _with a wound like this it might take a few days_. I was so concentrated on healing my wound, I failed to notice Hope walking in til I heard a crash and looked up to see his red face. He had dropped the supplies as he stared at my intense solar plexus through the bandages. (A/N: Sorry about this but FYI Star is incredibly healthy and toned, being only 10 and a werewolf. She has more ab muscles than Hope lol). I looked back as my own face started heating up from embarrassment and anger.

"Uhh...I umm...wasn't trying to...ummm..." Hope started backing up, his arms flailing as he tried to explain. I angrily grabbed the nearest item, which was a frying pan and lobbed it at his head. "GET OUT you...you...PERVERT!" I shouted as Hope turned tail followed by the flying frying pan. Lightning was making her way over to check on me when she saw Hope screaming out followed by what looks like a pan. She had to stifle a snicker as Hope dropped down and covered his head as the pan soared past him and collided with a tree. Hope looked up at the sickly impact the pan did to the poor tree. Lightning silently made her way into the tent, leaving Hope to sit there paralyzed, no doubt thinking about what would have happened if he got hit.

I looked up brightly as I saw that certain pink-haired heroin walk into the tent. She looked like she was holding in some kind of laughter and I could guess that she saw Hope leaving the tent. Lightning crossed over and sat down next to me, avoiding looking at me fully. We didn't speak at all each lost in our thoughts but no doubt, we were thinking about the same thing.

"How's your wound?"

A simple question. I gave myself a quick check then answered, "It's still healing but I'll be fine in a few days. The others have already healed." She leaned over and placed her right hand tentatively on my stomach. Her soft hand sent shivers from my solar plexus, my breath coming up short as I try to calm down as my insides did somersaults. _Calm down. _My mind tried to slow down my racing heart. _It's just Lightning_. _There's nothing wrong her_. _Think of her as an older sister, not a lover...heck I'm not at the right age!_ With that thought my heart started to slow down and I felt comfortable as I looked at Lightning with my brown eyes. She continued to inspect and felt around, her eyes narrowed in concentration flicking back and forth. I was leaning back on my elbows, waiting for the inspection to be over. Finally she sighed, lifting her hand from my stomach and moved back to a sitting position, one leg over the other. I raised myself back up, my arm resting on my elbow.

"Your gonna be fine. Thanks to Hope's cure spells the wound should be healing naturally. My guess is that you managed to close the wound before Hope cast the cure spells." Lightning ran her hand through her hair in one of those nervous gestures. "I didn't want lose you in that fight. If I didn't yell at you and Hope, Odin wouldn't have appeared and attacked. As you were fighting alone, I couldn't do anything. I really wanted to but I just couldn't!" I stared at her , her hands shaking, head bowed, eyes closed then moved closer to her and leaned my head against her shoulder. She looks at me, her azure colored eyes widened a little in surprise then faintly smiled. She wraps both arms around me and I snuggled deeper, wrapping my own arms around her waist, my head resting on her chest. She rested her chin on my head. To tell the truth, I really enjoyed her company and I wish I could stay like this forever but sooner or later, I have to return home, back home to everyone. We stayed in this position for a long time, each didn't want to leave the other until Hope called for dinner.

Since I could only hobble due to some abdominal pain, Lightning carried me out bridal style to the campfire that Hope made. We ate our dinner quietly and peacefully. "Why don't we tell some stories? Since we never really introduced ourselves properly." Hope asked after we finished and continued to stare into the fire. I nodded a bit, Lightning just closed her eyes so we decided to go ahead and start.

"My name is Hope Estheim, 15 years old." Hope was sitting as he stared into the flame. " My mother and I joined NORA back at the Hanging Edge. My mom's name was Nora, Nora Estheim and that is what that man named the group." Loathing and anger came into his voice when he said, "that man." Lightning and I silently waited for him to finish.

"My mother was taken from me. I watched her die in front of my eyes back there..."

_Flashback_

_ "MOOM!" Hope screamed as he watched her body fall into the depths and disappeared. His eyes focused on his enemy, the one person he is going to get revenge on, the man who killed his mother...Snow Villiers._

_End Flashback_

"And so here I am, on a journey with you two. Losing my mother left a deep wound in my heart. I will not stop until I get my revenge on Snow, for all of the things he has done to me, my family and everyone else he decided to drag into this mess." Hope finished furiously, his hands clenched in fist. Lightning and I exchanged odd glances at each other than looked at him. _He's almost like me...except the revenge part._ I looked at him as he stares into the flames, their bright colors danced in his eyes. It was sad that a kid like him, lost his mother and had to start a journey with some strangers that he has never met before.

"Now it's your turn." Hope had finished looking into the flames and stared at us. It didn't matter who goes first but I decided to talk first.

"My name is Star, 10 years old and a werewolf. I came from the planet Zoralth into this world due to a vortex that sent me here. I don't remember all of the details but I am trying to go back to where I came from. I don't live with just my parents and siblings but also with a couple other werewolves who joined us. We call ourselves a pack, sticking together and looking out for danger. It was a happy paradise until we heard a menacing voice..." I closed my eyes as I remembered what had happened that day.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"__I am afraid I can't let you do that, my little subjects__!" The werewolves lifted their heads to the menacing voice as the sun disappeared and demonic clouds thundered. "__I would enjoy tearing this little world apart but first, why don't we play a game? I enjoy games.__" A hellish arm appeared from the clouds, claws ready for plucking. That cheeky guy is faster than I thought. Shadow thought with despair then he barked at the frozen pack. Run! Run now you guys! Silver, lead the pack away. I'll keep him busy._

_Flashback break_

"My father Shadow hoped to fight the enemy while my mother Silver led the others away but, she managed to change that plan and everyone ran together, away from our beloved paradise. We were doing pretty well until my brother Rhyder tripped and fell behind the others. I raced back to help him..."

_Flashback continued_

_ Are you ok? Star has reached Rhyder and helped him to his paws. Please sis, he whined up to her, leave me behind. I'm slow and it'll slow us down. Star snarled at him. I will never leave a family member behind! Come On! By this time the cracks have reached them and with an uneven surface below them, they kept falling down. Silver made a move to rush back and help them but Shadow grabbed her tail before she took off. What are you doing? Let me go! She snarled at him but he shook his head. We don't have time for them, wait and see. She snapped her jaws irritable at her mate then looks back with a worried expression._

_ Star was right below Rhyder on a ledge thanks to the shifting of elevation as a gaping hole opened up and started to suck them in. GO Rhyder! Star encourages him as he struggles to lift himself out. I can't! The force is pulling me in! Rhyder grappled to hold on, his claws sliding. The hole was getting closer and closer. At the last moment and split second decision, Star used her strength and pushed him out of the hole as she losses her foothold and gets sucked in. Rhyder tumbled out, rolled to a halt and looked back in surprise and panic as Star gets sucked in completely._

_Flashback end_

Silver tears were flowing down my face as I couldn't hold back them anymore. The constant image of my memories of the past continue to flash in my mind now and I couldn't stop looking at them. Lightning was beside me in a flash, cradling me as I wept. Hope looked compelety stunned at my outburst of emotion but he murmured a, "Sorry," put out the fire and went to bed. Lightning continued to comfort me and I rested my head against her chest, arms wrapped around her as I continued to cry into the night. She embraced me, smoothing my hair in order to calm me down. At last I fell asleep, too tired to make another peep. Lightning gently laid me down and almost left when I unconsciously wrapped my arms around her neck, pleading not to leave. I think she faltered, unwrapped my arms and sat next to me. She would sometimes catch my whimpering from time to time but it would cease as I continued to sleep, sleep within my own nightmare of a dream.

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

After Star cried after her story, I just had to be there for her. I might not understand her pain but, I almost felt the same despair after Serah left and became a I'Cie. She finally fell asleep after soaking my shirt with tears...the kid cries a lot. I placed her gently to bed and left to go when she wrapped her arms around my neck again, whispering not to go. I paused, thinking on how Serah used to act back when we were kids. She would always cling to my neck, never letting go and her grip was like death itself was holding on to me. _Maybe,_ I thought as I looked at Star, her face was pained and she was having cold sweat as though she was living in a nightmare. _Maybe she isn't anymore different than Serah. _I smiled slightly as I unwrapped her arms from my neck, wiped away the sweat and settled down next to her. Her face eased up and her breathing became slower and more normal. I sighed to myself and laid down on my back, looking up to the sky. I felt something wrap itself around me and I came face to face with Star as she snuggled close.

"Sweet Dreams kid." I whispered and closed my own eyes.

* * *

**A/N**: Done! Sorry for not updating sooner but I have become quite busy due to things in school. Please leave **Reviews**! :D


	10. Chapter 9: Palumpolum and Yaag Rosch

**A/N:** Here is chapter 9 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Sorry for the late update! It's because of school :3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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**Chapter 9: Palumpolum and Yaag Rosch**

Let's back track to chapter 6 after the main cast left the ruins. Here is what happened to Snow. He apparently was in the middle of freeing Serah and got attacked by some PSICOM soldiers. That battle triggered his own Eidolon, the Shiva sisters Stiria and Nix. After he had gained their trust, he kicked some soldier ass. He was winning but, he was later apprehended by Oerba Yun Fang and taken aboard the _Lindblum _along with Serah's crystal form._. _There he meets the Cavalry leader Cid Raines and they discussed important matters. Things were going well on Snow's end.

On Vanille's end, she and the old man traveled through Sunleth Waterscape and on to Nautilus. After separating back in chapter 7, Sazh and Vanille had an adventure of their own. Vanille was acting a little depressed and jittery, ever sense Sazh brought up the branding of his son Dajh along their journey.

Seeing Vanille's depressed mood, Sazh decided to take her to some festivities in Nautilus. They had a fun time with all of the rides and Chocobo petting zoo. However Vanille couldn't help face her fears. She was in turmoil about being responsible for Sazh's son Dajh branding back then but, she couldn't confront it.

It was during their travels that Sazh's Eidolon Brynhildr was summoned that Vanille was accused of branding his son by an accident in the past. .

"Shoot me." She actually commanded when she couldn't handle the pressure of guilt anymore.

"Don't you even! You think you die, and that's that? Huh? You think you die an' everything'll be sugar and rainbows?" Sazh roared back at her, surprised that the girl actually suggested that method. Sazh didn't blame her for anything and attempted to take his own life but before he could, Jihl Nabaat swoops in with her troops, captures them both and placed them on the airship _Palamecia_where they are held hostage. They started to plan their escape route to get back to the others.

* * *

_Star's POV._

I awoke from last night's storytelling. As usual Lightning slept next to me, her posture looked peaceful and I felt secure when she's around. I got up and stretched, my wounds are fully healed. I took off the bandages around my stomach and went to put on my usual attire. The sun was up in the sky and everyone was awake. Hope was cooking and Lightning was polishing up her weapon. After breakfast, we made our way to the city of Palumpolum, Hope's hometown.

We arrived at the port city and indulged ourselves to its lively market place, well Hope and I were the only ones indulging ourselves. Lightning on the other hand looks like she was about to kill someone because she did not appreciate sightseeing and other attractions. She wanted to hurry up on the mission to Eden and she didn't want us to waste any more time with bystanders and other "tools".

"Come On we're not wasting any more time." She huffed when I decided to sniff at a pile of apples. I trotted away and looked at her hopefully. Unfortunately she looked away before I could pull off the adorable 'puppy-look' so I decided not to do that.

"Ok Lightning." I said in the sweetest voice possible. She looked back at me, smiled and ruffled my hair. "Teehee" I giggled and held onto Lightning's hand with my own. Anyone who was seeing this adorable action would think of it like a mother- daughter thing. Hope looked a little dejected at the gesture so he took the lead. Well, I didn't let him get too depressed, so sometimes I'll let Lightning take the lead and held hands with him. Both of them were smiling at my gesture and my high spirits.

Since this town was prosperous, PISCOM soldiers started popping up and roamed around the city. Hope was really familiar with the place he grew up with so, he led us through the sewer system to avoid most of the soldiers. The sewer system had a lot of underground pipes and we discovered the fal'Cie Carbuncle. We decided to rest and Lightning described her childhood to us, how she became Lightning in the first place and what it was like in the Guardian Corps. That led to a lot of childhood stories so after awhile, we continued our journey through the pipes.

When we popped out on another side of town, we heard this announcement being broadcast.

"_In a recently convened emergency conference, the Sanctum announced that the fugitive I'Cie have been located. The military plans to apprehend the I'Cie and carry out a public execution._"

"Yeah right." I snorted as I followed Lightning and Hope to the middle of the Agora, the message continued, "_These images coming to you live from the scene in Palumpolum_." We looked up at this huge monitor screen and its cameras were zoomed in on us. Huge airships and SICOM soldiers appeared all around, aiming their guns at their target, which was mainly us.

"These are I'Cie. Show no mercy." A voice rang out as the owner was walking out onto the balcony of his ship. "They aren't people. They're targets."

"You!" My eyes bugged out as I recognized the silver-haired man from the Purge train. He looked down and caught my eye. We stared at each other for awhile, clearly surprised at one another. He broke our gaze and continued to issue orders. We were completely surrounded and we stood back to back facing our enemies.

"Start running." Lightning's voice whispered to us. "I'll keep them busy."

"But-" Hope stammered as he tried to think of something else to change her mind.

"You guys survive." That last line was full of courage and determination, worthy of a leader. Hope and I were appalled by her rash decision but we also admire it because, she was putting her life on the line for us. Before we could say anything, an explosion appeared and the figures of Snow and Fang strode into view.

* * *

"That's some crowd. Gonna need a plan." Fang says as she looked over at all of the soldiers and robot drones. Snow chuckles and says, "Since when have heroes ever needed plans?" He pulls out his crystal and summoned his Eidolon. The Shiva Sisters entered battle in a dazzling display of ice and sculptures, turning the entire arena into one big ice field. "Fang!" Snow tosses her a gun and leaps over the ledge, joining his Eidolon. Snow had the Shiva Sisters turn into *Gestalt Mode and together with Fang, rode down to the arena on the ice archways and opened fire on the soldiers.

"Why does it have to be THAT guy?" Hope was seeing red as his eyes traced Snow's form on the motorcycle. Back in the pipes, he told us that he wanted to get revenge on Snow for killing his mother. Snow even called his retaliation group NORA which Lightning swore it was a stupid acronym but it was actually the name of Hope's mother, Nora Estheim.

"Let's go." Lightning grabbed Hope's arm and started running, firing bullet rounds at the PISCOM squads in front. I ran behind them, sometimes running ahead and biting a few enemies with my fangs and shredding them with my claws. Snow and Fang were causing havoc on top, firing at the silver-hair man. He glared at them as his soldiers fired, trying the best they could to fire at a motorcycle and its passengers.

Fang managed to get some direct hits causing the airship to tilt, smoke billowing out of the damages.

"Move! Take us up!" He snarls the command and the airship started its retreat. Lightning managed to cut down some of his men and looks up at the fleeing ship. She sighs then quickly ducked as Snow's motorcycle soars overhead. He was whooping and hollering, technically making a fool out of himself.

"Lightning!" He said happily, adding a little wink in there.

The three of us were just standing there, inwardly groaning as Snow and Fang came to greet us. Lightning decided to give Hope to Snow stating, "Take care of him."

"Lightning listen to me." Snow moved Hope out of the way and wanted to talk to her.

"Get moving." Was her response.

Snow wasn't gonna let her go so easily. "No, you don't understand! Serah's all right! She'll turn back!" Apparently Serah's a taboo word for her, I saw how tense she got, trying to relieve herself from that word she so dearly wanted but, she had a focus to complete. She thought for a split second before issuing the final command for him.

"Take care of Hope." She took off, motioning me to follow. I complied after giving Snow a quick glance.

"Wait.."Snow's voice trailed off as he looked at our retreating forms. Fang chuckled and said, "And then there were three." She decided to follow us, leaving Snow with Hope to take care of. He stood there flabbergast and suddenly the enemies started regaining consciousness.

"They're here! Hold it!"

"Gotta go!" Snow grabbed Hope and placed him on the motorcycle. Snow charged up the engine and took off, plowing through the lines.

"Fire! Fire!" Guns blazed to life as they tried to attack. With all of the commotion and the bumpy ride, Hope tumbled off, flat out an open target. The guns were trained on him until Snow came to the rescue. The fight didn't last long and soon every single enemy was taken down.

Snow grinned as he turned back to Hope. "What's up?"

Hope glared at him."Where have you been?"

Snow responded quite seriously, "I got taken in." Hope looked at him, surprised. "Wait-what?"

Snow chuckled as he explained. "Not by enemies. It was the Cavalry, not PSICOM. Leader's name is Raines. He said he'd lend us I'Cie a hand. So now," He got ready for his famous saying, as Hope looked with annoyance. _Here it comes. _"Your hero is back!" He strikes a heroic pose. _That's exactly what I predicted._ Hope sighed.

"Why would the army help us? That doesn't make sense."

Snow looked back at the clueless kid after he was done posing. "Military's got all kinds. Not all of 'em like the Sanctum. Don't worry," He placed a hand on Hope's shoulder, "I'll handle the bad guys. Come on."

After awhile they ended up back at the sewer place. Looking around they saw PSICOM soldiers pacing around. Snow smiled and told Hope that they should lay low for now. They continued walking and suddenly Snow's ear piece started ringing. He brought it up to his ear.

"It's me, what's up?" He answered.

"You damn well know what's up!" Fang's outraged voice blew through his eardrums so loud that Snow had to force it away from his head. He made a scrunched up face as he brought it back to his ear.

* * *

_On our end..._

"Why haven't you called in?" Fang was busying herself by yelling at Snow.

"Sorry it slipped my mind." Was Snow's sulky response.

She sighed. _What else is new about him?_ Lightning and I were listening on so that was the through that crossed both our minds.

"Right..." Fang continued, dismissing his stupidity, "What's your status?"

"Great, great! Hope's great too!" He looked at the silver-haired boy as he said that. Hope made no comment.

"Are you all right?" He asked her.

"I'm great, you're great, everybody's great." Fang said then she walked over to us. "Reunion time." She held out the ear piece to Lightning.

"What?" Lightning was as confused as I was.

"Figure out a rendezvous point." Fang said simply. Lightning gave her a look as she put the ear piece close to her ear.

"Don't sweat it. That line's hyper-encrypted." Fang said that with much confidence like she knew what she was talking about. Lightning sighed.

"Hey, Sis. Is that you?" Snow's voice sounded on the other side.

"I'm not your sister." Lightning said bluntly.

* * *

_Back at the Agora,_

"This city's under our jurisdiction. We're the ones defending it! We should have a say in what's done to protect it." A soldier was voicing his opinion to his leader, the silver-haired man named Yaag Rosch.

"Attention all units." Rosch was speaking in an ear piece to his squads. "Ignore all fire zone restrictions. Fire at will." His men looked at each other bewildered.

"Whatever it takes to kill the I'Cie. Over." He cuts off communication.

"'Whatever it takes'?" One of his men pipes up. "You want to start a war in the streets?" His comrades agreed with him. "Civilians are still evacuating! The collateral we're talking about is unacceptable!"

"You don't know what it's like out there!" Another soldier called out.

Rosch drew out a sword and pointed it at his men. "_You_ don't understand why we're here." He stares at them. "Who do you think it is, terrified of Pulse and begging us to kill the I'Cie? It's not the Sanctum. It's not us. It's the people." He cuts off his speech there.

* * *

_At our end..._

Fang and Lightning were leaning against the wall while I decided to stretch myself and catch a quick nap. Fang was kind of looking at me in interest, I felt her eyes on my back but I continued to ignore that. She was a stranger to me so it is probably best to get out of her way. Maybe I'll learn more about her later.

"We'll meet at Hope's place." Lightning was saying still talking to Snow, "Felix Height's 35-A."

"Right. See ya there." Came Snow's reply. "Tell Fang 'hey'."

Lightning looked at her and motioned with her hand what Snow said. She huffed with annoyance.

"Take care of Hope." Lightning turned her attention back to Snow.

"All over it. And I'll tell you more about it when we meet up. I found out she can turn back. There is still hope."

Lightning became absolutely quiet at that piece of news, then she said, "Snow. Listen to me. It's about Hope. His mother was-"

Hope's voice cut in, "Lightning, it's me. I decided-(static)I have to-(static)Operation" His voice trailed off due to static interference.

"Hope? Hope! Answer me." Lightning tried to catch on but the signal and communication went blank.

"Yelling doesn't fix it. It's called interference." Fang said as she walked over, holding out her hand for the device.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." I said as I finished my nap and walked over to them. Fang gave me a sharp look which I completely ignored.

Lightning sighed and handed the mic over. "You can chitchat when we get there." Fang promised and then said, "I've got point, you fall in behind." Lightning and I looked at each other then looked at her.

"And see if you can't cool off that head of yours." Her last statement was directed at Lightning and she walked off. We were forced to trail behind her.

* * *

**A/N:** Done with this chapter. The beginning chunk was a little bit of what had happened to Vanille and Snow after the gang split up. I didn't want to write out the whole thing so I summed it up. As always reviews are much appreciated ! :P

Oh and for those who doesn't know what Gestalt Mode is, it is this aspect where the Eidolon changes shape so that their summoners can ride on them. For example, Odin's Gestalt Mode is a horse that represents his trademark steed Sleipnir . Another example as seen in this chapter is the Shiva Sisters. Their Gestalt Mode is a motorcycle. There are still more to come as you will see each and every Eidolon's Gestalt Mode in later chapters.


	11. Chapter 10: Going to Felix Height's 35A

**A/N**: Chapter 10 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light._ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Going to Felix Height's 35-A **

_Star's POV_

Lightning and I followed Fang through the alley, zigzagging along and sometimes picking fights with soldiers and robots. They were no match for us, Fang being Commando and Lightning in Ravager mode. I decided to take the role of Medic, since I was perfect at the job and Hope wasn't with us.

After awhile, Fang stopped and said, "Hey Lightning". We fell in behind her. "Call me Light." She replied. I gave her a glance but said nothing as I decided to take up the rear end. Fang huffed and asked, "Did you see Vanille's brand?" Lightning looked at her puzzled, "No."

"No, huh?" Fang walked a bit then turned around. "Want to know how long until it's Cie'th city? Just look at your brand." Lightning's eyebrow arched up in interest. She turned away and decided to check her brand. Fang continued, "You start getting more arrows, and then finally an eye. Once it opens all the way, you're done." She walked over and turned Lightning back around, "Let's have a look. Don't be shy." Lightning kept quiet as Fang inspected her brand. She nodded and said, "Nowhere near. You got time." She then looked at me. "Where's your brand?"

"On my back." I replied.

"Can you show it to me?" I shrugged, set down my backpack and morphed into a black werewolf with white paws, a white tipped tail and a star-shaped mark on my forehead. Turning my back to her, she had a hard time looking for it but she saw the red outline amongst my dark colored fur. "Yep you look fine." She said after awhile. I twitched my ears and morphed back into a human.

"You never know. Some people, doesn't take so long. You get a nasty shock, it can speed up the process." Fang then stared up at the sky, deep in thinking. "Vanille's brand must be pretty far along by now. I've got to save her and get her home." She clenched her fist and paced around.

"To Pulse you mean?" Lightning asked, her arms folded across her chest.

"To _Gran_ Pulse." Fang corrected. "I hear that the Sanctum prevents people from leaving Cocoon." She snorts, "I'd like to see 'em try and stop me."

"So, that's your plan?" Lightning's voice sounded wistful as she said the question. Fang gave her a confused glance.

"I wish I had one. Without Serah, without a future, there's nothing to plan for. There's no way out of this mess, and no way to fight it." Lightning looked up at the sky, scowling. "I'm stuck trading blows with the Sanctum, but that's no plan." Lightning sighed.

"Even if we topple the government, where's that leave us? With nothing to fight for?" Fang was leaning against a wall, arms crossed as she listened to Lightning's words. "I might as well be dead." She said that line as though she meant it. Her eyes were filled with sorrow.

"If you died Light, then what?" I walked over, looking up at her. "We would be left to fend for ourselves and without a leader like you, we'll never accomplish anything. Besides, Serah wouldn't want that now would she?" She smiled slightly, and rested her hand on my head.

"She's right." Fang said, removing herself from the wall. "You've got plenty to fight for. Think about it." She walked around a bit. "Don't you want to see Serah, after she wakes up? Not only that, you made a promise to return a certain someone back to her own world." Lightning looked at her as well then glanced down as I leaned against her.

"That's your future right there. All you've gotta do is survive. It's simple!" Fang chuckled a bit at her own words. "Right." was Lightning's reply. We looked up suddenly as the sounds of small patrol airships zoomed overhead. "Snow."Lightning's voice was full of shocked as her eyes followed the little.

"They found 'em" Fang snarled as we ran off toward the others.

* * *

_Hope's POV_

I tried to kill him. The man responsible for my mother's death and he was smiling about it back in the sewers. When we were disconnected from Lightning's group, Snow and I went up on the rooftop, over looking Palumpolum and were on our way to my dad's place. I confronted Snow, accusing him of killing my mom and in my rage almost killed him before those airships appeared. They bombed the area where we were and I flew off the roof. If it weren't for Snow, I would've been dead. He shielded me as we fell, taking the brute force as we bounced off of objects.

When I woke up, Snow was carrying me on his back. He was wincing in pain from earlier, but he continued to get us to our destination. Distant rumbling sounded around us.

"That must be Light." Snow chuckled to himself.

"Why did you save me?" I know I am being harsh on him but still, I was angry about the whole NORA thing.

"I was asked to keep you safe...by Lightning...and by Nora." Was his reply. "I'm sorry. What happened-it was my fault. I put her in danger." He was silently crying and I listened quietly.

"I know that things can change. Let me make things right."

"You told me before that you couldn't." I countered, still feeling angry yet, I felt sympathetic as well. Snow shook his head, "And that words were useless, and a lot of other things I shouldn't have said. Look, I didn't know what to do, didn't know how to set things straight. So I didn't." The flapping of birds flew overhead.

"I thought if I couldn't make up for it, then all the apologies in the world wouldn't mean a thing. So I decided I had to find a way to pay for it first, before I'd even have the right to say sorry. But," he turned his head to look at me, "it's like you said. I was using that as an excuse, so I could run from my own guilt." He stood up, wincing. "Look Hope. I know what happened was my fault. I don't deny it, and I am sorry. Here," He held up that survival knife Serah got Lightning on her 21st birthday. "That's Light's isn't it?"

I held the knife in my hand, looking it over.

" I'll find a way to make things better. Just give me time. If nothing I do is good enough, then I'll take any punishment you want to dish out." Snow walked into a large open stadium,

"She's gone Snow." Those words that came out of my mouth halted Snow in his tracks. " You can take the blame, but it won't bring her back."

Snow hung his head and said, "I'm sorry."

" I knew it. I knew it all along." I looked at up at the sky, " I had to blame someone. I had to. I needed a reason to keep fighting." I sheathed the knife back, I didn't have to energy to attack Snow.

"It wasn't _someone's_ fault. It was mine." Snow's voice growled. "Take it out on me. And keep yourself alive until you do." He collapsed, but continued to move.

"Let me catch my breath." His eyes widened with surprise when a Ushumgal Subjugator lands and attacks us.

"Get out of the way Hope, I got this!" Snow rushes in but gets knocked out fast because he wasn't fully healed.

" Always the hero. You want to die?" I shouted at him but he has lost consciousness.

"I won't let you." I got into attack mode as the thing charged.

I was doing pretty well on my own for a few minutes. Blocking. Attacking. Healing, all of these commands ran through my mind as I did my best. After 50 minutes, I was tired. I couldn't hold up much longer and the machine was almost upon me. I grasped my boomerang with confidence, no backing down.

"Hope!" I turned my head with relief toward the sound of the voice when a flaming fireball soared over and crashed itself into the Ushumgal Subjugator, driving it back into the adjacent wall. I flashed my rescuers a smile.

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

We hurried toward the sound of battle. Thanks to Star's great hearing, we arrived before Hope gets slaughtered.

"Hope!" I called out his name as Star morphed into wolf form, charged up her 'Flaming Star' attack and flew over his head, crashing in to what looked like a Ushumgal Subjagator, driving it into the wall on the other side. He flashed us a smile as we ran to his side. "Glad you could make it." He sighed with relief as we stared at the billowing smoke.

"Oh jeez, that flaming fur ball." Fang sighed as she drew her lance, "I hope she didn't die yet." I gave her a glance and drew out Blaze Saber as I saw Star darted out of the smoke, turning around as the Ushumagal Subjagator staggered out, Star's attack blast a huge hole in the middle. It looked quite angry. Right now it was going after Star, shooting it's guns and missals, any kind of projectile items.

"Damn, I wish I had that kind of strength." Fang whistles as she watched Star used the wall as leverage and flipped backwards, sinking her fangs into the enemy. It tried to shake her off but Star held on tight, using her claws to tear out chunks of its armor. I huffed with annoyance and rushed into battle to help, Fang right on my tail. Hope went to help Snow, who was regaining his conscious.

"Over here you over-grown metal head!" Fang roared as she swung her lance, creating a huge gash along its body. I was busy chopping it into pieces and Star was still hanging on, ripping out its wires. The fight lasted about 2 hours and once we were done, there was no trace of the thing left.

"I could use a nap." Fang mumbled, stretching her sore muscles. Hope and I nodded, agreeing with that option. I looked at Star as she flopped down, licking her healing wounds. I smiled, sitting besides her. She looked at me with her topaz eyes and morphed back into human form.

"I'm tired." She yawed and fell asleep instantly.

Hope was helping Snow on his feet and said, "Let's go, my father's place isn't that far from here." Fang and I nodded in agreement. She carried our stuff and I carried Star on my back. We trudged our way towards Felix Height's 35-A, the resident place of Hope's father, Bartholomew Estheim.

* * *

**A/N**: Done. Pheeew, so sorry for these late updates (friggin finals takes too long). Luckily I have only 2 more days left before summer vacation so hopefully I will have enough time to work on these stories. As always **reviews** are greatly appreciated! :P


	12. Chapter 11: Meeting Bartholomew Estheim

**A/N**: Chapter 11of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Meeting Bartholomew Estheim**

_Star's POV_

We made it to Hope's place. Snow was sent to bed for recovery with Lightning on the watch. Fang hang around in the halls and Hope is with his dad. I woke up not too long ago and stretched. After wards, I padded into the living room where Hope's dad, Bartholomew Estheim was crying his eyes out.

"Nora..."His face was in his hand. Hope looked on, feeling sorry for him and himself. I lay beside the chair, resting my head on my paws, listening to their conversation.

"Dad...we're going to rest up. Then we'll leave." Hope got up to pack his things, paused and said, "If they find out you're sheltering I'Cie they'll-"

His dad cut him off, slamming an angry fist on the coffee table. "Your my son! This is your home." Hope walked over and sat beside his dad. Bartholomew wrapped an arm around his shoulder, smiling. "My son."

I got up and left them alone, some father-son bonding would do them good. I bumped into Fang on my way out, she seemed to be thinking of something. She gave me a quick smile then I walked away, leaving her to her thoughts.

I saw a T.V. in the other room and so I decided to turn it on. I was just in time for the announcer was talking about us. I sat on my hunches, eyeballs glued to the screen.

"_Now for an update on the situation at Palumpolum._" Fang came in and watched the news with me. "T_he I'Cie continue their desperate flight and the military has now launched an all-out campaign to eliminate them. In the event you must leave your home, please follow the instructions broadcast on this channel._" Fang huffed as her gaze fixed on a family picture of the Estheims. Dad on the left, mom on the right and Hope in the middle. She picked it up and said, "Must be the kid's family." They were smiling.

* * *

_In another room..._

"_Roughly twenty-five hundred civilians believed to have come in contact with the I'Cie are now being held in quarantine by the Sanctum._" The news anchor was announcing as Lightning fiddled with the survival knife Serah gave her. She listens to the news tentatively.

"_Our latest insta-poll has shown a vast majority in favor of the immediate Purging of these individuals believing their treatment-_" Lightning decided to turn it off and directed her attention to Snow, who had recovered and is trying to get up from the bed.

"Lay down." Snow looked at the ex-sergeant then huffs. "Alright." He lays back down, wincing in pain. She moved next to him, crossed her legs and continued playing with the knife. Snow looks over, eying the knife as well.

"Huh. I see you took the kid's toy away."

"He gave it back to me. Said he didn't need it anymore."

Snow huffs and chuckles, "Go figure."

"It was too much."

"Hm?" Snow looks over, puzzled by her statement. Lightning continued, "What happened to Serah. All I could think about was, 'What could I have done?' I hated myself for not trusting her. It hurt too much. I couldn't face it." She clutches the knife tightly, a growing silence came between the two.

"Look, Snow. I.." She pauses, then looks at him straight in the eye, "I'm sorry. Forgive me."  
Snow sits up, shocked. "For what?"He asks. Lightning stands up and replies, "Everything"

Snow thinks for a bit, then he puts his hands behind his back as he lays down. "If you told me your real name, I suppose I could."

Lightning snorts then says, "Have Serah tell you-when she comes back."

"Deal." Was his reply.

Both of them just realized that Hope was standing in the doorway.

"My dad said he'd like to see you guys. He wants to talk."

* * *

_In the living room..._

Everyone is together, Hope and his Dad sitting together, Fang has her arms crossed staring out into space, Snow has his head bent, looking at the floor and Lightning stood there, normal soldier posture, her arms also crossed. I sat by her of course, my arms resting on my knees.

Snow gets down on his knees and says outright, "The blame is mine. I couldn't save her." Bartholomew rubbed his temple with his fingers, calming himself down because he was about to yell. Hope decided to stand up and take Snow's side.

"If it wasn't for Snow, I wouldn't be here." His dad pauses for a bit, then utters the man's name.

"Snow. Did Nora...Did she say anything to you?"

The man lifted his head and replies, "Hope. She said to...to get him home."

"Hmmmm." Bartholomew looked at his son, lovingly then he said, "And that's exactly what you've done."

Snow looked at him confused, obviously waiting for a harsh lecture. Even Hope looked at his dad confused. Everyone around sighed in relief that Snow wasn't going to be yelled at.

"Face to face like this, it's hard to believe you're all dangerous fugitives. But the entire world is scared to death of you I'Cie." Lightning decides to sit down, still listening to the man, I was fine where I was. Sure I'll follow Lightning to the ends of the earth but, not right now.

"No, not even just you. People who've helped you, bumped into you. Sometimes it's even just people who've walked by one of you. They think they're 'tainted' and want every one of them Purged."

"The Sanctum's a puppet of the fal'Cie!" Snow said angrily. "To them, our lives don't mean anything at all. We'll stop this. Take down the Sanctum, _and _save Cocoon." He clenches his fist, confident in his power.

"You've thought that through?" Bartholomew asked. Snow lost his confidence there.

"If I'Cie take down the Sanctum, fear of Pulse will only get worse. It won't stop at fear. People will take up arms and stand against you. Can you imagine it? The rampant violence?"

"When the government's control is gone, the citizens will revolt." Lightning spoke up.

"So, what then?" Fang asked, standing up. "We're suppose to just smile and eat a bullet?"

"Not that you eat bullets for breakfast everyday Fang. It helps build character." I said to her. I was aware of the curling edges of Lightning's mouth as she tried to suppress a snicker. Snow and Hope were also trying their best not to laugh but, failed. Bartholomew didn't get it, he looked puzzled at the statement. Fang looked ready to chop me into pieces but decided not to do that in front of our host because that would be rude.

Turning back to him and ignoring me, she said, "That means you too."

Bartholomew chuckled, "I know I'm a part of this. I'm on your side of the fence. Harborer of I'Cie, and a public enemy." Fang shakes her head, frustrated.

"Coming here was a bad idea." Hope's voice was full of shame, knowing that they risked his father's life by hiding them.

"This is your home." His dad repeated to him. They smiled at one another.

"We're all here. Let's figure this out together." He focuses back on us. That's when the lights burned out, leaving the room in pitch darkness.

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

I got into serious mood, if I wasn't already. House was dark, electricity was out. Thanks to my hearing, I already know that PSICOM squad were stationed outside.

"Head's up." The glass smashed as these things dropped in, apparently they were smoke bombs. The room was catastrophic, everyone choking on the condensed air. More glass broke and soldiers came in.

"Hope! In the back!" Snow's voice rang out, then he started coughing more.

"You're not ready for this." Hope was kneeling beside him, his dad right behind him. "I'll stay here. You help my dad."

While they were having a little chat, I was busy fighting off the intruders. I could hear Fang fighting as well, her fist pounding in faces. "Where's Star?" I asked her. She shrugs and I began to worry. I was about to call out for her when a PSICOM soldier popped up, aiming his gun at my head. Before he could shoot, he was struck in the face by a sneaker. Star kicked the man so hard that his helmet broke into pieces and his nose was broken.

"You ok?" She asked me. I nodded and together with Fang, we took care of the rest of the pack, Star rushing in with fangs and claws. We beat them up in like 20 seconds flat.

"Ha...Weaklings." Star drew a paw over her ear. I looked at her more closely before she morphs back into human form. Sure she was still a 10 year old but, when she's in wolf form, I couldn't help but realize that she is about the size of a miniature horse, maybe larger. She notices my confused expression and says, "Even if I am 10 years old, my other form matures faster. I forgot to mention that important information." I nodded in understanding. We made our way to see what was going on outside. Hope stared at the ruined family photo, furious. Snow and Bartholomew came out of hiding as well.

"Is it over?"

As if to answer, a search light fell upon us, causing temporary blindness. More PSICOM soldiers came to replace the ruined ones as an airship lowered itself down.

I looked stressed out and Fang decided to crack a food joke at a time like this.

"Who ordered the battalion? It wasn't me and if it was, I would keep it all to myself."

"They'll take out the whole building next." I said, trying to think of a plan fast.

"Move over, it's my turn." Snow steps up, removing his trench coat. We move out of the way as he leaned against the wall. Taking a deep breath, he held it out and in no time flat it got annihilated by bullet holes.

"Snow." I warned him but he stopped me. Turning his head he said,"Don't shoot. I'll show you what a real I'Cie looks like."

The soldiers stopped and then trained their lasers on him as he stepped out, arms raised.

"Me. I'm a I'Cie. Surprised? Expected some kinda monster?" He continued to taunt them. "I'm flesh and blood like you! An ordinary citizen of Cocoon! Don't you get it?" He clenched his fist in anger, "This has been our home our whole lives! How could we even think about destroying it? We want to protect this place just as much as you do!"

Some of the soldiers started questioning their orders, deciding if this guy was speaking the truth, if he was actually one of them.

"He's lying." The men looked up at their commander as he walked up to the front lines.

"You must be Snow Villiers." He walked up and introduced himself properly. "Yaag Rosch, PSICOM Division. I understand your plight. However, the Pulse threat is not so easily dismissed."

The rest of us listened in, confused on what he is trying to say. "The very existence of you I'Cie puts every last one of us in danger. Tell me, do you really think your life is worth more than the lives of millions of Cocoon citizens? I do not. And so it falls to me to order your execution. It is that simple. It is my responsibility to see you put down." The soldiers aimed their weapons.

"Enough!"

Yaag's eyes widened as Star stepped forward from the shadows, clearly unafraid as the men trained their weapons on her instead of Snow.

"Star..." I hissed out to her but, Fang held me back, shaking her head. I watched from the sidelines.

* * *

_Star's POV_

_What that man said is wrong._ I thought as I stepped forward. I saw his eyes widen in surprised, clearly upset that our fates were somewhat intertwined and that we met at every single fight there was. I stood before him now, glaring so deadly that his men backed up a bit.

"Hold the line!" He barked then returned my gaze. "We meet again, child."

"What? You wanted your mommy instead?" I smirked a bit then I said, "Even if you kill us, what will that lead to? The Sanctum will crumble soon and uprisings and killings will lead to more bloodshed, is that what you want?" His men looked at one another, considering my words.

Yaag turned his back on me and said, "Your lives are forfeit. It is better if we kill you know instead of later."

"That's were you are WRONG!" I roared at him, turning into the beast. He turned around to come face to face with burning topaz eyes and bristling fur. His men scrambled back even more as I prowled forward, closing the distance between us. He looks up at me, unafraid but I could smell his fear. "Why don't you cut the crap and give us the answers?" I snarled at him, my eyes gazing into his. It took all of his willpower not to step back from my presence. "You want I'Cie, then kill I'Cie! Why do other people have to die because of one stupid reason? The Purge has got to stop!"

His silver eyes glared into mine and he shouted back. " Do you think we want to Purge our own people?"

" You're DOING it anyway so why don't you use your power to change it!" I roared back, claws digging into the grounds. His men cringed slightly.

"If any trace of Pulse remains, the populace will erupt into chaos. Without sacrifice, without the Purge, Cocoon will die!"

"There has GOT to be another way without Purging the people." I tried to reason with him. He was about to reply when someone threw some smoke bombs. I stumbled back from the smoke.

"Let's go kid." I heard Snow behind me, but I shook my head no.

"The enemy is still here, we're gonna stop it now!" I turned my gaze back to the group in front of me.

"Who fired? I gave no order!" Yaag's voice rang out and he coughed as his men tried to figure out who did it. Guns fired and chaos erupted, soldiers started falling to the ground, one by one.

"We're leaving." Lightning stood up, looking at Fang and Hope. "Hope! Tie up your dad." She looked at Bartholomew and said, "We threatened you and forced you to help us. Got it?"

"There must be something else-" He tried to object but Hope cut him off. "Do what she says!"

As he was tying him up, Hope's dad told his son to be strong, to make the right choice. Lightning and Fang watched as they said their goodbyes, then they ran out of the house.

"Our turn Hero." Fang said as she joined Lightning and I in battle.

"What? I can handle a little gas." He retaliated which caused more coughing.

"Save your breath." Hope was by his side as he let us handle the threat.

* * *

**A/N**: Done. Long chapter here, hope it was some fun reading. :D


	13. Chapter 12: Infiltrating the Palamecia

**A/N**: Here is chapter 12 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light._ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Infiltrating the Palamecia**

_Star's POV_

That fight in Felix Heights 35-A didn't last long. After we finished, we left Hope's place as quickly as possible. Bartholomew didn't get into any trouble, the soldiers thought that he was tied up against his will. In fact, the Calvary came and picked us up. Fang persuaded us onto the ship, the fact that she herself was on the Calvary's side as she was looking for Vanille after they separated. So here we are, on the Calvary ship and watching the news. They showed a picture of a huge ship.

"_There she is_." The news anchor was saying, "_The Palamecia, pride of the Sanctum Skyfleet!This mighty flagship currently serves as a prison for the I'Cie apprehended in Nautilus. The I'Cie will face official sentencing upon the convoy's arrival in the capital._"

Snow scoffed. "So what's with the freak show?"

Cid Raines explained as he too, watched the news with interest. "So the Primarch can stand in judgment of the villainous I'Cie, with their execution as the climax." His right-hand man Rygdea nodded gravely as his captain continued, "The people will cheer their demise, and fal'Cie dominion will be undisputed."

"All part of the plan." Lightning had her arms crossed as she looked at the screen."

"Yes, but it also presents an opportunity." Raines said as we redirected our attention back to the T.V. "_In a display of unwavering dedication to duty, the Primarch himself has boarded the Palamecia and focused his personal attention on resolving the Pulse crisis._"

"They're baiting us." Fang speaks out, "Trying to draw us out."

"Bait, huh?" Snow looks at her, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, that's right: 'Here are your friends. Come and get 'em.'" Lightning said as she turned to face the group.

"Well, if they're daring us to mount a rescue..."Snow walks up to the front, "I'll take that action. All in." He pounded his fists together, smiling.

Rygdea shakes his head, "All righty, bets are on the table. We leave when you're ready. I'll be standing by." He runs off to get the transportation ready. We huddled together and planned our next move, which was to infiltrate the _Palamecia_ and rescue our friends. Once that was done, we met Rygdea at the landing docks.

"This baby back here's a PSICOM vessel." He pointed to the vehicle. "It'll deliver you to the _Palamecia."_

"Oh, we're cargo now?" Snow asked.

"A parting gift to our rotting government. Take those PSICOM guys apart." Rygdea said with a smile.

"And we're supposed to take on all of them? I think the whole division's on board." Lightning said, hands on the hips while looking skeptical. Fang huffed and said, "I don't care how many lackeys they've got. Bring 'em on! Vanille's in there."

"I'm sure she's fine." Hope said, assuring the woman that everything is ok. "Vanille's tougher than I could ever be."

Lightning turned to face the boy.

"Hope, are you scared?"

"Yeah, I'm terrified." He came out clean. "But I'll be okay. Because I have you, and this guy," He looked at Snow, "Fang and Star. We're all in this mess. We've got to stick together."

Rydea decided to end the beautiful moment. "Right, enough with the bonding. It's go time." We followed him to the vehicle while Snow decided to ask Hope, "What do you mean, 'this guy'?" Hope just chuckled in response.

* * *

_In the Palamicia-Control pit_

"We didn't expect to see you here in person, Your Eminence." Jihl said humbly to the Primarch himself as he sat on the throne.

"This crisis threatens the entirety of Cocoon, my child." He replied. " You agree that standing at the fore is a leader's charge?" He asked her. She stares back at him, those eyes shining behind the glasses and she smiled.

"Wholeheartedly."

"It also affords a splendid view of the impending execution." The man chuckles at the thought. Down below in the control center, a worker pressed a few buttons as an annoyed voice nagged him over the intercom.

"_What's the holdup_?"

"Stand by. Verifying identification code." The worker assured as he pressed more buttons.

"_You let me land this bird, or I'll crash her into your ass!_"Was the reply. The worker sighed as he continued working.

After a few minutes, the worker announced, "Code verified. You're free to dock."

"About damn time." The voice growled as the airship was taxied into the bigger ship.

"All clear. Welcome aboard." The hatch opened, allowing the airship to pass through.

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

We got in smoothly, all things were going well. We allowed ourselves to enter without a hassle. No guards or soldiers were present, which was a good sign yet, I felt as though it was some sort of trap. Star grabbed my hand tightly, her eyes darting back and forth, her little nose twitching. I squeezed her hand reassuringly. She inched closer to me, laying her head against my side as we walked. We almost made it to the door when we heard this,

"Code Red! Repeat: Code Red! Attention all crew: this is not a drill! Code Red!" The sounds of approaching foot soldiers were detected and they appeared in front, guns aimed and ready. Waves of more appeared behind the first lines and before we know it, there were more than a thousand in the room, all aiming at us.

"All right. Let's tear 'em up!" Snow got into fighting mode.

"We're here for Vanille and Sazh. Stay focused!" I commanded, drawing my blade.

"Looks like they want to play." Fang grinned as she stood ready to draw some blood.

"Quick question, where do we go after we clean the place?"

"Up there." Fang pointed with her finger to that high ledge that protruded from the shadows of other railings.

"Star make sure you...Star?" I looked for her and notice she stood a few feet behind me, ridged as a stone statue. I carefully inched my way over to her, eyes still trained on the foot soldiers. She looked at me from the corner of her eye and cocked her head to the side, a nonchalant gesture. At first I had no idea what she was thinking but an idea started to take shape.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. She smiled softly and nodded yes. I sighed and signaled to the others to make way. They gave me a look then directed their gaze to Star before making way.

"The enemy are up to something." The foot soldiers eyed us suspiciously at our slight change in formation. Star walked forward, making her way closer and closer to her targets. My eyes saw her trembling hands and the soldiers mistook it as a sign of weakness.

"It's just a little girl, she's so weak. Fire now!" The guns fired ablaze. Letting out a feral roar from within at that insult, Star charged forward, morphing into that dazzling beast we loved so much. Her claws left deep marks on the ground and her fur blazed alive with fire. Some of the soldiers pissed themselves at the giant fireball with fangs coming straight towards them. Star plowed right through the lines, tossing men right to left. Most of the soldiers were incinerated by the flames, some were shredded with teeth and claws. Very few managed to escape their fate but were later killed by my gun.

After the chaotic mayhem quieted down, Star stood in the middle of bloodied bodies of her enemies, their silent screaming faces frozen as the last moments of their life were torn apart. Hope had to excused himself to throw up from the graphic scene. She trotted back to us, looking really pleased with herself, her enemies blood gave her shirt some color and trickled down her hands. I patted her head as she came to hug me, smiling gleefully.

"Let's go." I hoisted her onto my back and somersaulted my way up to the railings. Once we reached the top, Star smiled and hopped off as we waited for the others to join us.

"Remind me never to piss Star off at any point during this mission." Snow says as he, Fang and Hope followed our footsteps. We followed the path along, fought a few soldiers and made our way to the upper level decks. The harsh sunlight blinded us for a minute before we could see normally.

"Won't be going back that way." Snow glances up at the opening we came out of.

"We'll find another route." I assured him.

"Way ahead of you." Fang said smugly as she sauntered to the head of our group. "See that?" She points with a hand to another terminal in the distance.

"Let's go." Hope's enthusiastic voice lightened up our mood as we went on our way.

* * *

_Inside the Paramicia-another sector of the ship_

Vanille sat on a not so comfortable chair, looking slightly worried and afraid. "Sazh?" She asked, looking at the man who leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. He didn't to her, nor did he acknowledged her presence. His mind flashed back to the time where he attempted to shoot himself.

_Flashback_

"Enough..."He brought the gun to his head. Vanille covered her eyes while gasping in horror. "is enough." A shot rang out. Removing her hands, Vanille saw that the bullet didn't hurt the man. He couldn't kill himself. His pair of guns dropped from his hands and he sobbed in anger.

"Why can't I do it." He banged his fists on the ground. I got no reason to keep living. I can't even kill you." Vanille stood up and walked over to the depressed man.

"Sazh..."She wraps her arms around him, comfortingly. The man continues to weep.

"Freeze!" They were surrounded by PSICOM soldiers.

"Take 'em!"The soldiers grabbed them by the arms and waited for further instructions. Their commander, Jihl Nabaat marched forward, inspecting them both.

"You should be proud." She drawled, lifting Sazh's head so that they were staring at each other. "Your son's a hero. The boy who saved Cocoon. We'll erect a memorial in Eden and put his crystal on display."

"A memorial?" Sazh's face was shocked and his voice was full of outrage, "He's a little boy!"

"As the son of a Pulse I'Cie, he would have lived in shame and misery. Isn't it better he be treated with reverence, as a monument to sacrifice?" Jihl countered.

_End of Flashback_

Sazh sighed at that scenario and walked away. "I'm pathetic." He sat down, miserably.

"That's my line." Vanille spoke up. "I'm the one who lied to everyone."

Sazh shook his head, "Forget it. You can't change what's done."

Vanille stood up abruptly, "But, if I'd just told the truth-!"

"Now, now, now. I've been thinking. You woke up from being a crystal once. That means Dajh will wake up one day too, right?" Sazh asked hopeful that one day his son will return. Vanille nodded her head.

"What was it like?" He asked her. "I mean, how did it happen? You were done with your Focus, right?

"I was chosen. I was made into a I'Cie to fight against Cocoon." Vanille sat down to tell her tale of what happened. "It happened back on Gran Pulse, hundreds of years ago. We finished our Focus, and we fell into a long crystal sleep. We woke up...on Cocoon, to the start of a new Focus. Fang, she'd forgotten everything. And for me-Just the thought of hurting people again...It was too much. So I lied. I played dumb, said I'd lost my memory. I wanted to escape my fate as a I'Cie."

* * *

**A/N**: Done. Hoped this chapter was interesting! :D


	14. Chapter 13: Reunion

**A/N**: Chapter 13 of Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII characters belong to Square Enix.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Reunion**

_Vanille's POV_

Sazh forgave me eventually. He couldn't believe that Fang and I were the ones who caused Dajh's crystallization. It was all my fault but Sazh would have none of it. He keeps blaming himself for being pathetic and worthless, it was inexcusable for being a dad. I immediately tensed up and I shouted at him to knock it off, everything wasn't his fault. He calmed down a bit and nodded, putting the past behind him for the time being.

"Let's go." I said cheerily as I dragged him down the hallways of the Palamecia. We encountered a lot of enemies but with the old man at my side, we were able to conquer and defeat them. We were making good progress.

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

Some panels folded down in front of us after I pressed the activation switch. We made our way to the upper level on the outside of the ship.

"The wind-it's dying down." Hope commented. Snow followed us from the rear end since it was his duty to do so, my orders for him.

"Yeah, it's stopping." I agreed. "And _we're_ decelerating." I crossed my arms, slightly annoyed. "They up to something?"

Snow rubs the back of his head as he answered my question. "I don't suppose it could just be-I don't know- good luck?" As soon as he finishes, some of the panels gave way to flying insect robots.

"That looks a lot more like bad luck." Fang says, eying the enemy.

"You got a point." Snow mumbles.

"Not to me." Fang replies.

"That?" I scoffed, "That we can do something about." Star nodded her head in agreement and took off, charging straight into the enemy lines as they rushed to attack us. We were surrounded by hoards of mechanical robot nuisances, not a big deal really just that the numbers are increasing and soon we were up to our necks as robots piled up.

"This isn't working." Snow calls out as he punched one in the face. It was soon replaced by another one and Snow's figure vanished underneath the robot bodies.

"Tch annoying pests," I growled as I swiped my sword at a few that wondered too close. Those were replaced immediately and I soon realized that Snow was right. Hope and Fang were struggling as well, bashing and smashing their way out. They were running out of energy fast. I had to come up with a plan fast. I looked over and saw that Star wasn't having that much of a problem. The robots were running from her huge claws and sharp teeth or trying their best to attack her, big mistake on their part. She just ripped them up and then purred loudly, enjoying herself. That's when it hits me.

Placing my thumb and my index finger in my mouth, I whistled loud and clear, one of those sharp shrilling noises. Sure normal human ears could detect it and interpret it is a normal whistle but, an animal interprets it as something different. Star's right ear swiveled around to the sound and she looks in my direction in understanding. She charges forward, bulldozing her way towards me. The robot insects scattered about before droning back to their intended targets.

"Get on now!" I shouted to the others as I somersaulted onto Star's back. Fang followed my example and helped Hope as he climbed up.

"Where's Snow?" He looks at the sea of robots around us. Fortunately I saw his gloved hand waving madly and tapped Star on the shoulder. She directed her gaze over to his waving hand and bounded over. Grabbing his hand in her mouth, Star pulled the big man out of the swarming robot pile. He smiled as I helped him up.

"That was disastrous." He panted, catching his breath. "I was submerged underneath tin-cans for hours. Thank goodness my hand was able to wave for help." I nodded my head as Star took off running, knocking robots out of her way with her claws. There were still hoards after us. Some managed to snag onto Star's fur coat and we were force to attack them.

"Stupid garbage." Fang snarled as she used her foot to dislodge a robot as it was climbing up the fur.

"Star we have to think of a way to get rid of all these nuisances." Hope shouted as he bashed another one with his boomerang. Snow had to hold onto him encase he fell off.

"Ya but how?" Fang questioned. "You could either blow them to bits or use an amplifier to voice sound so big that they would malfunction and explode. Trouble is, we don't have an amplifier with us and those bugs are fire-proof, they won't burn easily."

Star stayed quiet for a few moments then a brilliant plan came into her head. She skidded to a halt and turned to face the hoard. "Fang, you said that sound waves so loud could make them explode right?" Fang nodded her head grimly. The enemy came toward us, wave upon wave, wings buzzing and pincers pinching. I saw Star's eyes narrowed and her ears laid back on top of her head.

"Hear my roar...MEGA HOWL!" Star inhaled an enormous amount of air and unleashed a howl that came out in sound waves. It was so mighty that the robots all malfunctioned and exploded. One after another until the whole horde erupted into bits and pieces.

"Now THAT"S what I call smart-thinking." Fang smirked as Star turned around and carried us across the platform. Once we crossed, we were greeted by a Kalavinka Striker, this flying dragon-like thing. It actually wanted to pick a fight with us.

"So, Light..." Fang directed her voice to me while her eyes locked on their target. "How you figure this makes us lucky?"

"Because when we kill it, we're one step closer to Vanille. How's that?" I replied to her question.

"Well, when you put it that way." Fang grinned. That fight was a little difficult but we defeated it nevertheless. Its body fell to the ground and slid off the surface of the Palamecia. As soon as it disappeared, another one rose up.

"Another one." Hope sounded fearful.

"One big, fat stroke of luck after another. I'm so happy I could cry." Snow said. The beast flew over us, almost chuckling.

"Tease us will you?" Fang growled as Snow chimed in. "Come down here!" No sooner did he say that, there was an explosion and two characters popped out, coughing from the smoke.

"Vanille!" Fang exclaimed happily.

"Fang!" Vanille responded back as she went to meet her.

"There you are." Snow commented as Sazh followed the happy girl back to the gang.

"Missed me?" Sazh was surprised at Snow's attitude.

"Not you, the monster!"

"What? Where?" Sazh turned his head to see the thing flying overhead and coming down for battle.

* * *

_Star's POV_

That Kalavinka Striker didn't stand a chance against Lightning, Fang and Snow. It fell just like the first one. After that battle, Fang and Vanille hugged each other since they were separated for a long time. Fang quickly checked Vanille's brand and sighed a relief. "You've still got time."

"Fang... There's-there's something I need to tell you." Vanille's voice sounded scared as she looked at her best friend. Fang gave her another hug.

"Making me worry like that..." She muttered. "We'll talk later, Missy." Looking at their close bond, Sazh couldn't help but sigh.

"What's wrong?" Snow asked him.

"Huh? Oh, uh...nothing! It's nothing." Sazh raised his arms in a shrug. "Uh-so? What's on the agenda?" He is so quick in changing subjects.

"Toppling the Sanctum." Snow answered as he pumps his fist.

"No, I mean really." Sazh was confused or wanted a real answer.

"He's serious." Lightning spoke up. "We're gonna take down the Sanctum and give Cocoon back to the people. The fal'Cie have called the shots for long enough."

"If we pull this off, it will be a miracle." Hope said, as Fang got an idea.

"Well, good thing Lady Luck's on our side." We looked up to see some more flying beast.

"More of 'em?" Sazh complained.

"You know, this is getting really old." Snow agreed.

"Check this out. A miracle-Gran Pulse style!" Fang took off running with Vanille right behind her. Locking her eyes on the beast, Fang pointed a finger at it.

"Vanille, go fish!"

"Got it!" Was Vanille's reply. She used her weapon to reel in the beast and Fang stuck her own weapon just below the base of the spinal chord, just before the first dorsal fin. Doing this action, allows Fang to have more control over the beast just like a car, her weapon acts like a steering wheel.

"That's a good girl." She spoke to the wyvern.

"Let's get on." Vanille says to the rest of us. We quickly got on, failing to notice that an owl was watching us. It flew off as soon as we did, tracking our movements or going to warn its master.

The wyvern carried us around the huge ship. It was a bumpy ride with air turbulence and Sazh was having a hard time hanging on.

"Believe in Lady Luck now?" Fang shouts over the roar of the wind.

"Yeah-Lady _Bad_ Luck!" Sazh retorts back.

"Time to Purge a Primarch!" Snow exclaims happily, pumping his fist again.

"You got it!" Fang steers the beast along the ship as the defense mechanism for the ship aims on us. They fired and the beast retaliated by blowing a huge hole in the walls.

"Jump!" Lightning commanded and we jumped off into the opening, free falling all the way.

Vanille's thoughts echoed in my head. Somehow I have this ability to read other people's thoughts. It's a werewolf thing, I can't help snooping.

_I had my doubts. But I also believed that if we stuck together somehow we could change our future. _ I gave her a small glance and sighed to myself. _Change the future huh? Sounds like a massive pain in the butt but, maybe it is possible._

* * *

_Inside the ship_

We landed pretty hard, not hard enough to kill some people but hard enough to almost have a concussion. Everyone was helping each other to their feet. Gazing around my guess we are in some kind of special generator room, since there were machines and other things. On second thought, I saw this huge golden door blocking our path.

"Dysley's through there." Lightning said, her voice barely containing her anger and hatred for this guy. Everyone huddled around. Fang kept a firm grip on Vanille's arm.

"We're still gonna have our talk. But let's survive this first, yeah?"

"Right." Vanille nodded her head.

* * *

**A/N**: Done with this chapter. Sorry for the delay, I have indulged myself in teenage activities this summer.


	15. Chapter 14: Boss Battle Barthandelus

**A/N**: Chapter 14 of Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light. Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

Chapter 14: Boss Battle Barthandelus

_Star's POV_

We rushed through that door and came face to face with the Primarch himself. He sat there on his throne all high and mighty, such an old prick. The way he smiles is just plain creepy.

"Been looking for you, Naabat!" Sazh pointed a finger at the Primarch's subordinate, hatred showing on his face. She jumped off the platform to meet us. That owl was watching us carefully as well. When we met in the middle, Sazh drew his gun and pointed it at his nemesis. She smirked.

" Your Eminence, please escape." Jihl drew her own weapon, causing us to tense up and anticipating her attack."I'll cover your retreat."

That old man looked down at us, feeling quite bored out of his mind.

"Why don't you leave, Jihl." He drawled. "Or rather, take your leave." At this his tone of voice changed, one with intense power and authority. "Humans have no business here."

"What? You Eminence!" Jihl was appalled and shocked before Dysley killed her, his feelings for her disappeared and he grinned wickedly.

"Wha-?" Sazh stared at the dead woman, shocked at what had happened. "Magic?" We looked up as the big man himself floated down to greet us. He also killed his other subjects, his crew members. Everyone around us died off from his power, I felt sympathy for them.

"Dysley!" Snow roared at him, "Monster! People are not yours to use!"

"What else does one do with tools?" He asked us. Snow angrily lashed out at him but was thrown back by a barrier.

"Cocoon is a factory, built by fal'Cie. A factory for the mass production of human thralls." The rest of us glared at him in rage.

"Not anymore, it's not!" Snow countered. The mechanical owl flew down from its perch as Dysley laughed.

"What can mere men do? Without our help, death is all of which you're capable. You saw the fools. A mindless mob drunk on fear of a few l'Cie."

"If they only knew a l'Cie was the one filling their glasses!" Lightning strode forward, weapon poised.

"L'Cie?" Dysley chuckled at the thought, "You mean me? Oh child, perish that thought. I'm more than that!" He raised his staff high and the owl intercepted it. A blinding light flashed and we were force to shield against it. When it died down, this thing stood in front of us.

"**I am fal'Cie,**" A deep voice rumbled from it. "**My name is Barthandelus. Voice of the Sanctum, and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie.**" Some panels opened up to reveal the face, its smirking gesture and rows of teeth.

"**Your kind feared the darkness, so we gave you light. You begged us for the Purge, and did it not come to pass? Now you spurn our counsel? You must learn your place!**" Barthandelus roared and smashed his claws against the ground.

"Where have I heard that voice?" While everyone was fighting, I stood there frozen, pondering about his voice. Once he spoke, that voice nagged me and I knitted my eyebrows together, thinking.

"I know I have heard it before. It was, it was..." Then it hit me.

_Flashback_

"**I am afraid I can't let you do that, my little subjects**!" The werewolves lifted their heads to the menacing voice as the sun disappeared and demonic clouds thundered. "**I am enjoying the tearing of this little world. In a land full of ruin and creatures struggling to survive, their cries and shrieks is like music to my ears!**" A hellish arm appeared from the clouds, claws ready for plucking. "**I need more. Give me the satisfaction by annihilating you!** _" Cheeky guy, he is faster than I thought. _Shadow glowered with despair then he barked at the frozen pack. _Run! Run now you guys! Silver, lead the pack away. I'll keep him busy._

_ No. _Silver trotted up to him and touched noses. _If you are_ _staying back to fight, I'll stay too. _The wolves chorused as well, not willing to let their leader stay behind for them. _Thanks but you guys need to go. I'll keep him busy. _Silver shook her head and looked at him straight in the eyes. _Remember our pack's motto? Never leave anyone behind. Once we stick together, our bond cannot be broken. _Shadow stood silent for a moment then replied back. _I understand. We are not going to fight it. We are going to run, run like your lives depends on it. Everyone needs to live for tomorrow!_ _I know this place is our heaven but, I believe we will find a better place so get ready. _

"**Are you done talking? Ready or not, here I come.**" The arm went into action and plunged straight at them. _Run now!_ The wolves broke into a run away from their paradise. "**There's no escape for you!**"

_End of Flashback_

My eyes jolted up and I looked up when Barthandelus roared in anger as Fang swiped at him. He lunged at her and missed. Fang was laughing at him and taunting, making him more savage.

"That's right, he was the one who attacked my family. He will pay!"

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

This fight wasn't going well. Snow was in charge of shielding Hope and Vanille with his Steel Guard but, Barthandelus managed to break through it. He slashed with his huge claws and sent the three of them tumbling to the other side of the cockpit. Seeing Vanille hurt, Fang went berserk and rushed. Unleashing her ultimate attack, Highwind, she managed to rip chunks of armor off. Barthandelus growled and swiped at her. She dodged the first one but missed the second one. It hit her and sent her flying into some control panels. Sazh was also beaten. His constant shooting tactics annoyed Barthandelus off so much that he concentrated his energy on him. He unleashed his fury and sent Sazh flying in another direction, knocking him out cold.

"**Now it is your turn, Sergeant Farron**." He directed his attention at me. I glared back before I made my attack.

"**Come then child! I'll strike you down like all the rest!**" He crowed as he used one of his attacks: Baptism in Ruin. I dodged quickly and sliced his face. He roared angrily and swiped at me. I dodged and unleashed my own attack, the one my father taught me before he past away: Army of One. This technique was only taught to the best of the best. Lots of twist and turns plus sheer speed was involved. He couldn't keep up with me and he got mad.

"**Enough!**" Barthandelus roared and slammed his hand on the ground, causing cracks and tremors. I tried to keep my balance on the uneven surface while waiting for his next attack.

"**It seems like I have underestimated you, child.**" He looked at me, grinning evilly. "**However, you have yet to** **lose this battle to me very soon**." He rose up and started charging power. I braced myself, narrowing my eyes.

"**Take this, DESTRUDO!" **He unleashed all the power that was harboring in his mouth. I flew back a few feet from the impact and landing on my side. Lifting my head I saw a crater sized hole yawning up in front of me.

"**You're actually alive child?**" I turned my head as Barthandelus towered over me. I growled as I tried to rise slowly to my feet. He raised his hand and slammed it down upon me. I gasped out as I was slammed down and pinned to the ground.

"**You can't escape me.**" He leaned down as I struggled against his claw-like prison. " **Give it up child, you can't win.**"

"You...wish!" I glared at him. He chuckled and applied more pressure. I cringed and I struggled to breathe as my body sank lower and lower to the ground.

"**Give up yet?**" He whispered. I was panting for air and I shook my head no.

"**Suit yourself. I'll see to your death.**" His head rose up and prepared another Destrudo. "**Goodbye Sergeant.**" I shut my eyes, waiting for the hit.

"LET HER GO!"

He stopped and looked at the owner. I also opened my eyes, looking at a really angry child, her brown eyes glaring dangerously at my attacker.

* * *

_Star's POV_

"LET HER GO!" I roared at Barthandelus, anger rising up. He attacked my friends and Lightning was in danger. He turned his head and looked at me. I stared back, equally challenging.

"**Child, you're spoiling my fun**. **Huh? Where have I seen you before?**" He kept his hold on Lightning, never letting her go.

"You have done enough, pick on me instead. You took me away from my home and now it is pay back time!" I said, my mind was in haywire and feared for Lightning's safety. My glare was dangerously scary, even Barthandelus stumbled a bit but he managed to speak in a clear, commanding voice.

"**That's right, I did attack your home. Back then I was looking for some kind of pawn to use and you happened to be the one. Right now, you are no threat to me. This woman means a lot to you no? I'm quite surprised you actually have feelings for her.**" He inclined his head to Lightning.

"She is my friend and I won't leave her side." I replied. He chuckled out loud.

"**You? A friend to the most cold-hearted person in the world? HA.**" He continued laughing as I gritted my teeth together.

"**What has she done for you?**" That question caught me off guard. "What?" Barthandelus stared at me and repeated his question. "**What has she done for you? Sure you may have done some good deeds for her but, what has she done in return?**"

"Why does that matter? A friend is a friend and they stick together." I didn't understand his question.

"**Poor child, sadly you have been manipulated.**" He shook his head and bent closer. "**She has been using you from the time you met.**"

"Don't listen to him!" Lightning roared, struggling harder. "He's confusing you!"

"**Quiet child, don't butt in to a conversation that isn't yours!**" Barthandelus hissed down on her then directed his attention to me. "**Tell me what has she done for you ever since you guys met?**"

"She promised me that she would get me home, no one goes back on their promises!" I looked at him.

"**Child you are quite delusional. Obviously you don't know this woman like others. She tends to go back on her word and she lives an isolated life as an ex-soldier. Her only family is Serah Farron whom is presumably encased in crystal. That is why your on this journey, to save a person." **He grins,** "My guess is that she'll ditch you once they get reunited. You will never go home, give up on this wrench." **Lightning snarls loudly at him, "Be quiet asshole! What would you know?"

"**You can't hide the truth forever. That was your plan before right? You never intended to help this girl from the start.**" He sneers down. Lightning falls silent and looks at me. I stared right back, ridged like a stone.

_Lightning was going to...ditch me? But she promised she would get me home. Was it a...lie? _

"**This has gone on long enough. Let's end it.**" Lightning stared up as Barthandelus started to come at her, mouth wide open with rows of sharp teeth.

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE HER ALONE!" I roared in anger and morphed. He looked at my form, claws extended and bristling fur. I now stood almost as tall as he is, topaz eyes blazing bright.

"**Hmmmm? You do have some kind of intense power. I'll defeat you today and end your journey. Get ready cause here I come!**" He lifted his claws and crawled at me, leaving Lightning behind. She got to her feet steadily and made her way to me.

"Star..." She looked at me, eyes downcast for a bit. I glanced down and nuzzled her gently. She rested her hand on my muzzle, stroking gently. "I won't go back on our promise. I'll get you home."

_I'm sure you will, I have no doubt in my mind._ I licked her hand and wagged my tail. She wrapped her arms around me.

"**If you two are done, let's do this!**" Barthandelus charged forward. I give Lightning a look before I unleashed Flaming Star upon him, halting him in his track. We butted heads, growling as one tried to dominate the other. Lightning took this time to unleash another Army of One on his unprotected side. He roared angrily and went after Lightning. I intercepted him and slashed my own claws at his face. He backed off, roaring in pain before firing some lasers at us. I crouched over Lightning, deflecting the attack. We attacked together and brought him down. The others have awoke by now and trudged over to our side just as Barthandelus disappeared.

"A fal'Cie running the Sanctum." Snow murmured.

"Then...I guess it wasn't Eden controlling things after all." Hope whispered.

"As I said," A booming voice echoed above us. "I am Lord-Sovereign!" Dysley shimmered in front of us.

"Guess fal'Cie don't go down as easy as the rest of us." Sazh commented.

"Ease is not the issue. You have not fought to win. You should know quite well already the sure way of dispatching our kind." We looked at him, weary of his movements.

"Ragnarok." He waves his magical staff.

"What's Ragnarok?" Fang questioned and soon cringed as her brand started to hurt.

"Pitiful l'Cie, you've forgotten your Focus." Dysley taunted her. "Ragnarok is the beast one of you must become in order to lay waste to Cocoon." His finger traced to every single one of us. "You have had the dream. One among you will become that monstrosity, defeat Orphan, and destroy Cocoon."

"Orphan?" Lightning asked.

"The font of Eden's power." He answered her. "Orphan fuels Eden with strength, and Eden sustains you and the rest of our kind. Destroy Orphan, and you'll release a force such as this world has never seen. Cocoon will be torn asunder."

"So if I did that..." Fang's voice was strained but she looked at him with fierce eyes, "Destroyed Orphan..."

He flashed in front of her, chuckling. "Your Focus would be fulfilled."

"So what?" Lightning brought Blaze Saber down upon him but he vanished and appeared a few feet away. "Who says it has to be?" He chuckled. Snow stepped forward and lifted Serah's tear crystal in the air.

"Serah asked us to save Cocoon before she turned to crystal. Save it. And that's what we're gonna do. Serah was trying to tell us how to complete our Focus, and we have-"

Dysley's wacko laughter stopped Snow mid-sentence. "Allow me to help you see the truth of things. The moment you arrived, your friend wept crystal tears. This was because her Focus required that you be brought together. That girl did nothing but assemble the tools for Cocoon's destruction. Did it never occur to you? Or did you simply refuse to countenance the thought? If you will not face the truth, then face the peril of your plight."

That mechanical bird swooped in and changed into an airship while Dysely disappeared with a few parting words.

"Run, l'Cie! See how stark reality is!"

* * *

After Dysley disappeared, _The Palamecia_ lurched back and forth.

"Come on." Lightning commanded as she took off with the rest of us followed behind. The huge airship burst into flames and we tumbled out in our little airship, Sazh was driving it.

"This is bad! The yoke's jammed!" He sounded alarmed.

"What?" Lightning was beside him in an instant and Snow growled, "I knew it was a trap!" The kids huddled in the rear when Hope exclaimed, "Something's coming!" We looked up to see Yaag Rosch driving another ship, hurdling straight at us.

"Not so fast l"Cie." He glared as he sent torpedo rockets that were aimed directly at the specific target. Sazh drove us around, evaded the rockets.

"Hold on!" Snow gritted his teeth as the airship rattled. Some more rockets fired and they hit us. Fortunately we weren't hurt. The ship appeared to have some kind of crystal encasing.

"The hell kind of ship is this? Fighting on its own?" Sazh was bewildered, his hands were barely on the controls when we attacked our attacker who growled with frustration. "Clever, aren't you?" He mused as he sent more rockets at us.

"Can't we do something?" Hope panicked.

"Got me! I give up!" Sazh retorted back. Our ship drove us back to the burning _Palamecia_ who had a shield up and we got through it. Yaag wasn't so lucky, it repelled him and wouldn't let him through.

"The shield!" He looked astounded.

We broke out and flew into a metropolis. Citizens looked up as our ship flew across the sky. We all looked back behind us.

Vanille gasped when she turned around, "Sazh look out!" We turned back to the front just as a huge building neared us. We crashed through.

* * *

_Inside the building._

"Where are we?" Lightning asked. We crashed landed inside the building, luckily there was no one here except ourselves.

"Looks like a piece of Pulse." Vanille said, looking at the area.

"Pulse? What, you mean like the Bodhum Vestige?" Sazh asked. Fang and I were inspecting the ship. It was totally damaged, couldn't run anymore.

"Something like that, this close to Eden..." The old man sighed.

"Yeah, well, what I don't understand is, after the Purge, and all that l"Cie paranoia...why keep a chunk of Pulse under the floorboards?" Fang asked.

"Is this what the Primarch wanted us to see?" Hope asked as well.

"A place for l'Cie to accept their fate." Lightning answered, thinking for a minute.

"Do you really think our Focus is what Dysley said it is? "Hope wondered.

"You mean, become Ragnarok." Vanille said cautiously.

"Destroy the fal'Cie Eden, and shatter Cocoon." Sazh added. "That's what the vision is telling us, more or less." He sighs, "So, we're back to square one. Out of luck." Everyone stayed quiet.

"Mr. Hero! Cocoon calling Snow!" Vanille waved her hands to get Snow's attention but, he doesn't react to her.

"It's almost like Dysley wants it to come true." Hope said.

"Seems that way." Sazh agreed. "He sure didn't mind explaining it. 'Here's your Focus on a silver platter.' "

"But that doesn't make sense." Vanille looked thoughtful, "I don't get it." Why would a Cocoon fal'Cie want to destroy Cocoon?"

"Maybe it's a fal'Cie thing." Hope answered. "You know what I mean? Some grand design we just don't understand."

Fang huffs and says, "Hey, Snow! Nothing from you?" He just gazes out there, not paying attention. She huffs with annoyance as Sazh leads the way out. The reason why Snow was quiet was because he was pondering on what Dysley said about Serah's Focus and how it led us together.

"I was wrong. Totally wrong." He keeps muttering over and over again. This whole mess is going to have our whole group break down in front of our vary eyes. Everyone has such depressing feelings and thoughts.

_I wish that later on, all of it will change for the future and we can stop our Focus once and for all. _

* * *

**A/N**: Done. Long chapter I know but, I hope you enjoyed it! :D


	16. Chapter 15: The Fifth Ark and Cid Raines

**A/N**: Chapter 15 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Fifth Ark and Cid Raines**

_Lightning's POV_

Ever since we crashed, everyone was feeling gloomy except Star. She's a little more positive, leading us down through the tunnels. My guess is that she wasn't fazed at all by what Dysley said, one of us turning into Ragnarok and all that. My mind kept wondering back to the time we faced Dysley, replaying that line over and over.

**You never intended to help this girl from the start.**

_Was he right? Was it my intention to lie and betray my friends?_ My brain nearly wrecked itself, trying to wrap around that concept. I was so caught up with that idea that I didn't hear Snow talking to me.

"Light? Light? Hey...uh, I've got to apologize. Can we talk for a minute...alone?"

I glanced at him, then back at the group. With Star in the lead, I figured this was the best time to talk to him. I stepped back and faced him.

"It looks like I was wrong." His head was downcast.

"About Serah's Focus?" I asked. "It's not like you to second-guess yourself." Dysley said that Serah's Focus was to bring together the tools needed to crush Cocoon. Once that was done, she would turn to crystal. Snow scratched the back of his head. "Well, even heroes make mistakes."

_Finally he admits it_. I felt a little twitch as my lips curled up in a small smile. Snow sat down and we had a nice chat.

"What about your plan to protect Cocoon?" I asked. I turned away to stare at the adjacent walls, collecting my thoughts. "Either way, your faith in Serah was strong. That strength got you this far."

"It was all wrong." Snow sighed, resting his hands on his knees. I turned back around to face him.

"Yeah. You tried so hard to convince us that you even fooled yourself. You've been a total idiot." Ok that came out a little harsh but, it was the truth. Snow really did try.

"But still...It saved me. You trusted Serah, let that faith drive you." I looked at his downcast head, his hands were clasped together as if he was praying. "It even made me want to believe." With that said, I walked away and left him there. Star was waiting for me, she sat on the ground and tilted her head as I walked up. I smiled a bit as she stood up and gave me a cute look plus a smile of her own. Holding on to my hand, we walked back to the group in order to give Snow some time alone. He looked up as we walked away and pulled out Serah's tear crystal, gazing at it in a loving way.

"Serah...talk to me baby." He whispered as he put it back in his coat pocket and went to catch up to us.

We walk for a few more minutes maybe even hours before we reached this open space. Large statue-looking devices stood along the walls as we approached. They had this blue glowing orb in the middle, nothing dangerous. Some old metal items that are totally worthless were strewn into a corner to collect dust.

"I can't believe we're still in Cocoon." Hope said in amazement as we looked around.

"It's kind of creepy." Sazh added, looking real nervous. We stepped in the middle and the floor shined brightly in the shape of our brands. Everyone doubled over as sheering pain throbbed from their brands. The pain vanished and the statue devices started moving.

"What the-" Sazh exclaimed as machines came staggering out, one glowing orb shining and one robotic arm for striking. We were thrown into battle right then and there, against these Pulsework Knights. They weren't terribly difficult to defeat. Afterward we climbed up the stairs and Vanille gasped at every little detail, every single pipe running along the ceiling.

"This place-it must be an Ark." She said confidently and decided to give us a story about this place

"An Ark?" I asked her.

"That's what they called 'em." Fang replied. Vanille nodded as she started her story.

"Long ago, the fal'Cie who made their home on Gran Pulse were afraid of invasion from the outside. As part of their battle preparations, they created an army of living weapons. And they stored those weapons in Arks, and they hid the Arks all over the world." Fang decided to join in.

"Everyone on Gran Pulse knew the legend."

"So, this is basically a Pulse armory." I said, hands on my hips as I looked around. Fang nodded her head in agreement. "Most of us never believed in 'em. A few people tried searching, but they never found a thing. Who'd have thought to look on Cocoon?"

_Was that a rhetorical question? _Star glanced at her but kept quiet. She decided to be intrigued with the old designs and metal objects.

"Right under our noses. That's some secret they kept." Sazh replied. He looks at the rest of us. "Those Sanctum guys, what are they up to?"

"The story's not done. There's more." Vanille stated, a little hurt that her storytelling was veering off-course. Fang nodded and explained.

"They used to say the Arks had a more practical purpose."

"Huh. Really." I was really skeptical at that statement.

"Yeah," Fang said, "to force l'Cie to master their shiny new powers."

"Okay, so, I get it." I said after much thought. "Dysley's goal is to forge us into stronger weapons. Right."

"Not Cie'th, but monsters all the same." Sazh chimed in, shaking his head is despair.

"Think of it as training for the fight ahead." Hope stepped up, looking cheerful.

"Hope's right!" Vanille agreed. Right after she spoke, more of those annoying pest attacked us. They were such an eyesore that it irritated me to no end, I practically wanted to destroy them to bits and pieces.

"Over there!" Hope pointed to an escape route, "We have to keep moving!" He took off with the rest of us behind him.

* * *

_Star's POV_

We kept running, down hallways and sometimes challenging opponents to battle. We ended up in the Lower Traverse of the Fifth Ark, getting closer and closer to our goal. We were walking into the open when this man in a white trench coat approached us.

"Raines?" Snow calls out, completely surprised as the man came forward.

"What?" Fang and everyone else stopped, completely confused. Snow tried his best to assure everyone that this man was perfectly safe.

"Easy, guys, it's all right. Raines is a Sanctum officer. He's been helping us out-" He makes a movement to go forward but Fang blocked his way.

"Why are you here?" She asked, glowering. Raines didn't reply, causing Lightning to retaliate. She shot forward, Blaze Saber drawn already.

"Raines! You traitor!" She roared as they traded blows. Raines managed to blow Lightning back and she rolled on the ground, coming to a stop to catch her breath. I went to her side immediately, helping her to her feet. She wobbled a bit but, leaned on me for support.

"I put you on the path. That was my focus." Raines spoke, pointing Blaze Saber in our direction. When Lightning was blown back, Raines managed to dislodge her weapon and now it is in his hands. The rest of us gasped.

"You're a l'Cie?" Fang asked, outraged.

"Since long before we met." Raines stated. "I did my best to assist you, as bid by the Sanctum fal'Cie. Now do you understand? The fal'Cie have watched over you, guiding your every step. The 'luck' that saved you time and again was a deliberate machination. Why, you may ask? The Primarch-or should I say, Barthandelus-is crafting you into the instruments of Cocoon's demise."

Fang growls irritably and snorts, "We've been played for fools."

"A Cocoon fal'Cie? Why?" Sazh asked.

"Why? To restore the Maker." Raines answers simply.

"The Maker?" Hope was confused.

"The entity responsible for creating both humans and fal'Cie." Raines explained, "Long ago, the Maker departed this world, leaving the two races behind. In a sense, human and fal'Cie are brothers-orphaned by the same parent. As for the humans, they forgot the order imposed by the Maker. They began to war amongst themselves for the first time in history. The fal'Cie focused on recalling their lost deity, and returning the world to its former glory. This purpose lies at the heart of all their actions. Calling back the Maker requires a fitting sacrifice."

"Yeah, we've heard. The destruction of Cocoon." Lightning stated, giving him a glare.

"The lives of this world's entire populace in bloody tribute." Raines muttered as he threw Blaze Saber back to her.

"No...That's crazy talk." Sazh said, trying to piece in the information.

"I don't get it. Why do they need us? Couldn't the fal'Cie end Cocoon with just a thought?" Hope asked.

"Their existence is bound to the creation and maintenance of this floating shell. It is their very nature that holds them in check." Raines replies.

"You mean...Cocoon fal'Cie can't destroy Cocoon?" Hope became even more puzzled but he started thinking about that thought. "They needed tools."

"If we can stop this by doing nothing...We'll do nothing!" Vanille speaks up.

"Noble. I expected as much." Raines stated, quite pleased.

"You lied to us." Snow's voice was full of anger. "What happened to your dream of rebuilding Cocoon for the people? Was it all a lie?"

"A shadow of a dream from when I was human." Rains said slowly. It was change I craved, and once I'd built the influence to make things happen, there was change. I gained all the power I could hope for, but was a puppet with no will to wield it. It wasn't the fal'Cie who changed. It was me."

"You...you were made a l'Cie?" Vanille asked.

"A l'Cie. Tied to an inescapable Focus-a slave of destiny. I'd lost hope. I'd all but given up on dreams of freedom."

"What are you saying?" Sazh tried to grasp the memo.

"I'm here of my own accord," Raines placed his hand over his heart, "not by fal'Cie order. Seeing you fight brought it all back. Brought back that future I once strove for. I, too, will challenge my fate." With that, he snapped his fingers and we were surrounded by these brand-looking things.

"If I can defeat you here, the fal'Cie plan will fail."

"Raines!" Fang shouted out in anger. He paid no attention to her.

"I will use all my remaining power!" He clasped his hands together and a bright light engulfed him. When it died down, he was no longer himself. He had crystal spiky hair and one huge monstrous arm that didn't belong to him.

"I will set you free!"

* * *

**A/N**: Done. Hope you liked it. Please review yo, they're much appreciated!


	17. Chapter 16: Bahamut Battle

**A/N**: Chapter 16 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to RoseWing-chan and xXRainbowVeins for reviewing and showing this story some love and attention.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Bahamut Battle**

_Lightning's POV_

Our battle with Cid Raines was more difficult than what I expected it to be, he was a formidable opponent. We had to change up the playing field since he had some advantage. Our usual team was Star, me and Vanille however, this time our team is me, Snow and Fang. The battle raged on and on, guarding, attacking and healing. My mind was in a rush, my arms had a mind of their own. Fang got agitated and so she attacked more ferociously. Raines had a tough time defending, allowing Snow and I to land a solid attack. He growled as he swiped at us. A few more attacks and he fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Raines.." I sheathed my Blaze Saber, staring coldly at him.

"Ironic, isn't it?" He manages to say and he looked up at us. "The only thing I wanted was a moment of triumph. How it ends isn't important. Just do what you know is right. Trust yourselves." After he said that, a bright light shined and once it died down, he was in crystal form. We all gasped, staring at his frozen face.

"What? Did he complete his Focus?" Sazh was completely baffled.

"I don't think so." Snow replies. He walks forward to the frozen Raines. "All Raines did was try to save Cocoon in his own way. His own way!" He clenched his fist and shouldered past the rest of us. We all looked at him as he walked away, as if something had clicked inside his head. Vanille looked back to see the Raine statue be enveloped within light.

_I think Raines was searching- searching for a way to make us understand. _Vanille thought as we watch the sculpture dissolve away. _ To understand the frustration of being a l'Cie- a lCie bound to a Focus. And maybe...what it meant to be human. _

We left the sight and navigated our way through the Ark. After awhile we came across this barren landscape, it looked like a ghost town. Buildings were ancient looking and there was sand everywhere.

"Looks like it's a dead end." Hope announced. We looked puzzled.

"How about down there?" Sazh pointed out, using his finger to show us what he was looking at.

"If the stories are right, it's a maze." Vanille spoke.

"This place is a boot camp for l'Cie." Fang was informative as she surveys the area. "All kinds of challenges from Gran Pulse are waiting.

"Challenges, huh?" Sazh was skeptical. "To get us all ready to wipe out Cocoon?"

"We can wait her if turning Cie'th sounds better." Fang retorts. There was silence and then Sazh finally snaps.

"I have had enough of this! Where's the way out!"

"Way out? Who said there was one?" Snow replies. "Bring it on. My mind is made up." He strodes forward. "Maybe I will end up a Cie'th. But until that happens," He takes out Serah's tear crystal. " I'm gonna make Serah proud." He turns to the rest of us. "I couldn't bring myself to admit that this tear meant godd-bye. And that's why I kept searching for her. But I didn't need to. Serah was here the whole time. Right here, watching over me. Now I get it. What this tear's been telling me is to not let our Focus win. It's not the fal'Cie we should listen to. It's Serah, and Raines. Do you know why? Because our Focus doesn't matter! What matters to me is that we protect Cocoon, whatever it takes!"

"Same here." Vanille agrees and she walks to him. "I'll help you do it." They placed their hands in the middle

"All right. I'm in." Hope adds, placing his hand on top of theirs. The tiny chocobo landed on top, chirping excitedly.

"I mean, come on! When a chocobo agrees, you know you're on the right path!" Sazh laughs.

"Well, count me out." Fang huffs.

"HUH?" Now everyone stares at her and she walks away.

"If you all want to go it on your own..." She turns and drew her lance. "Then so will I!"

"Hey hey hey hey hey." Sazh was confused.

"Let Cocoon get what's coming. They hate us for being l'Cie. What's it to me if they die? Better that than watch a friend go Cie'th! If you don't have the nerve for it, I'll do it myself." Go on alone, get stronger, and smash Cocoon out of the sky!"

"Fang?" Vanille was worried.

"You turn Cie'th, and there's no coming back!" Fang growls and she clutched her burning brand. "I'm not...letting it end that way!" Her brand pulsed with power and shot into the sky. A screech sounded and a dark shadow zoomed above us. It loomed over, staring intently at Fang.

"What's he doing here?" She growls. We surrounded Fang, ready to back her up.

"Come to take pity on me?" She shouted that question to her Eidolon. "Come to take care of a broken l'Cie?"

"That thing's here to help us?" Snow said rudely.

"Yeah, 'help.'" Fang replies sarcastically. "That's what Eidolons do, they help us. Eidolons are our salvation. If we can't decide what to do next, they come put us out of our misery!"

"Wait, so you haven't made up your mind yet?" Her Eidolon fired an attack on the group but Star deflected it away.

"Why are you protecting me? What are you doing?" Fang asked surprised.

"Protecting one of our own." I replied. "We can do without their brand of mercy. And we don't need a fal'Cie's orders, either. I'm fighting this Focus to the end. We all are. So please..." I turned towards her and extended my hand. " Fight with us."

Fang sighs and grasped my hand. We helped her to her feet and she joined the battle against her Eidolon.

"Ready when you are!"

* * *

_Star's POV_

Fang's Eidolon was massive, not to mention scary. He reared up and struck out with his claws. The team to combat him was Lightning, Fang and Vanille. The rest of us held back and encouraged them from the sidelines. It was rough, Vanille had to convert to Medic role a couple of times because of low health. Lightning grimaced and Fang scrunched her eyebrows with concentration. They fought on, never giving up and getting direct hits in. Finally, they managed to subdue Fang's Eidolon. Fang grinned and she checked her brand after the battle, thinking to herself.

"Look, a new path!" Vanille exclaimed, pointing. What wasn't there before appeared before us now, a new path for us to walk on

"Maybe that thing did save us."

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to call it a sign of me being right?" Snow chuckled. No one said a word.

" No? Okay...Listen. Keep our eyes on the goal and we'll figure something out." Sazh and Lightning just shrugged.

He led the rest of us onto the road and allowed Vanille to take the lead. She stopped after awhile and pointed.

"Hey! Look at that!"

"What?" Sazh asked. We ran over.

"An airship?"

"And it's from Gran Pulse!" Vanille exclaimed excitedly. "I guess it was one of this Ark's weapons or something. Fang investigated and something caught her eye.

"That's a gate to Gran Pulse." We all stared at the glowing green gate a few miles ahead of us.

"So, what, that's our exit? Pulse, or bust?" Sazh asked.

"Could be one of Dysley's traps." Lightning commented.

"Well that's not good. Do you think it might take us to Eden?" Vanille wondered.

"I'm doing the flying. No more of these ships taking charge of our travel plans stuff." Sazh announced as he walked to the ship. "Only place this thing is taking us is where these boys tell it to." He touched his own biceps.

"Ha! Really?" Fang laughs sarcastically. "_That _is a Gran Pulse ship."

"Really?" Sazh answers back. "Leave it to me."

"We're on borrowed time, might as well go." Snow speaks up, slapping Sazh on the back. "We get lucky, maybe we'll even turn up some way to get rid of these goofy tattoos." He shows us his brand.

"But there's no way to do that." Vanille says, looking down. Fang pats her on the head.

"You never know. Maybe we just didn't think to look for one."

"If nothing else, we know Cocoon is safe for the time being." Hope steps up. I'd say it's worth going to take a look."

"Maybe. But what about your dad?" Lightning asked, her eyes show concern for the boy.

"I made him a promise." Hope answers. "I promised him to keep going, and do what I had to. He said only I would know what that was. The world's full of lies. There's no way of knowing what's right. All we can do is believe in ourselves. It's easy to sit back and let people trick you. Like how the Sanctum had us all thinking that a l'Cie was some sort of monster. I'm done with their lies. Fal'Cie, this whole Focus thing. From here on out I use my eyes. Think. And act. I might not make all the right choices. But as long as I'm the one who decided what to do, there's nothing to regret."

"Okay." Lightning's simple word. It must have blown her mind when Hope was doing his little monologue. Sazh chuckles and walks up to the boy.

"All right. Let's do it! I'm with you, bad choices and all!"

"Of course I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out. Pulse is hell, you know."

"Oh, is it, now?" Fang draws up and leans forward. "How many times have you been there?"

"None. But I want to go, and see what it's like for myself." Hope chuckled.

"Okay people." We all turned our attention to Snow, who tossed Serah's tear crystal high in the air and caught it on the way down. "So, everybody in?" Everyone agreed. Lightning smirks.

"Off to hell we go." She said and we piled into the old airship.

* * *

**A/N**: Done. Hope you liked it. Please review and give this story some love and affection, it's much appreciated!


	18. Chapter 17:Alexander and Archylte Steppe

**A/N**: Chapter 17 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Alexander and Archylte Steppe**

_Star's POV_

We were kind of skeptical about the old airship but with Sazh's flying abilities, we had nothing to worry about. We busted out of hyper-drive and are currently flying over Gran Pulse.

"You did it!" Vanille smiled at the old man.

"Yeah! Told you, didn't I?" Sazh boasted, feeling really happy. That didn't last long though, this thing that looked like a huge centipede came at us. It nearly chomped off something if we weren't careful. Everyone ducked as it zoomed past us.

"Playful little critter, isn't he?" Fang was amused.

"Yeah, well play with someone else." Light growled, annoyed at the things antics. Vanille just giggled.

"Happens all the time." She said.

"He thinks we're lunch." Fang comments as the thing turns around, mouth wide open.

"Yeah, like a l'Cie-food buffet." Sazh joked.

"'Cie-food.' Cute." Lightning mumbles, bracing herself.

"Guys, here it comes!" Hope yells out as that thing tore a massive chunk out of our ship. The force was so great that Vanille, Hope and I were swept out of the ship, hurtling to the ground below.

"Fang, get em'!" Snow calls out.

"I'm on it!" She responds and leaps off, followed by Lightning. They fell through the clouds and Fang summons her Eidolon Bahamut. The airship flies past them, plummeting towards the ground.

"Here goes." Fang and Lightning follows the damaged ship on top of Bahamut. Snow and Sazh jumped on as well and they came to pick us up.

"You ok?" Vanille asked us as we were free-falling down to Pulse.

"Oh yeah! I'm great!" Hope replies sarcastically. I just smiled.

"Grab on!" Fang's voice sounded behind us and we back flipped onto the Bahamut as he took us across the skies. Our airship crash landed into some of the trees down below.

"Home sweet home. Welcome to Gran Pulse." Fang announced as we looked all around. It was a pretty place to be and the scenery was breath taking.

* * *

_Vanille's POV_

_A world wild and fragile, vibrant and untamed. Gran Pulse. It's a place ruled by the brutal struggle for survival, and callous and uncaring whim of the fal'Cie. There is no such thing as mercy...only a never-ending string of trials that weed out the weak, and leave only the strong. Raines knew the truth...the purpose lying at the heart of all the fal'Cie's actions. 'Recalling their lost deity and returning the world to its former glory.' People were never anything more than sacrifices. And Cocoon's destruction? It's just a way to wake a sleeping god. But would bringing the Maker back into this world really lead to our salvation? The Maker created fal'Cie...and they, in their desperation to be reunited with the Maker, created l'Cie. And l'Cie? I wonder what we'll end up creating. Our future looked bleak, but as long as we could keep our spirits up...we'd find a way to change our fate—somehow._

"You were having a dream." Fang's voice calls to me and I lifted my head sleepily. She was sitting beside me, watching over me. I nodded.

"A pretty strange dream." I said. The two of us stared at our home planet, for so long we have finally arrived back home. Some footsteps sounded behind us as Lightning, Snow and Sazh walked up.

"You're back!" I excitedly waved at them.

"Hey, guys. Have any luck?" Fang asked.

"No sign of anyone else." Lightning replies, crossing her arms. " But we did find plenty of bloodthirsty wildlife and crumbling ruins." Sazh came to sit by me.

"Long day?" I asked, patting his back. He nodded his head.

"Well guys, we've run out of places to search around here." Snows walks around. "Where's Hope?" He noticed the boy missing.

"He's off with the chocobo and the wolf girl," Fang gestures with her hand. "getting supplies. " Not a moment too soon and the tiny chocobo comes flying in.

"Hello!" Fang eyes the bird in surprise as it chirped about. Sazh chuckles and caught the baby bird.

"You all by yourself?" He asked it. It chirped and flew around some more. I finally scooped it up, my eyes widened.

"His brand!" Everyone had a wide range of facial expressions.

"We've got to find him!" Snow orders and we all raced off. We found the boy unconscious by a river bank, Star was watching over him protectively. She wagged her tail, greeting us friendly. We quickly carried Hope back to camp.

* * *

_Star's POV_

Everyone was quiet as Vanille did a quick medical process. Hope still hasn't woken up yet and we were worried. I laid by the fire, looking into the intense blazes that had little figures dancing around. Vanille finally sighs and got up from Hope's side. She has been there ever since we arrived back at camp.

"So this is how it ends?" Snow finally vented, anger flowing through his veins.

"Just wait." Sazh spoke up from where he sat. "Now how long has it been since we left Cocoon? Hm? Not a single soul for miles around. Not a single clue about this whole l'Cie mess!" Snow mad an advance but Sazh wasn't finished he was still talking. "What I'm saying is, we did well just getting this far." Snow sighs.

"But...we could go a little further." Vanille walked to us.

"Meaning..." Snow inquired.

"There's still one place..." Vanille started to say but Fang intervened, standing up.

"Vanille! Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Vanille nodded, her voice sounded confident.

"You know, if we don't fand anything this time, we won't get another chance." Lightning spoke up.

"Oerba-" Hope's voice spoke up, making our heads turn. "the place it all began." We gathered around him and he continued speaking.

"The place where the Pulse fal'Cie lay dreaming." He reaches up to the starless night, "Vanille and Fang's home. Just maybe..." He looks at his brand, "it will be the place where we find the answers we're looking for."

"Yeah, right." Fang says. "If we can get there." Hope chuckles and says, "go ahead without me." He sits up with the help of Vanille.

"We can't just leave you!" She told him.

"I'll be fine." He assured her. "You've all taught me so much- showed me how to fight." He stumbles and Snow caught him.

"What did I say? Leave the fighting to me." He told the boy. Hope sighed and admitted he was scared.

"We understand. You're not gonna go through this ordeal alone, you know." Lightning placed her hand on his shoulder. Hope looked at her, her smiling and encouraging face.

"But that's what scares me! I don't...I don't want to see you get hurt because of me." He stared to cry. "It would be better for everyone if I just stayed behind." He brand shined brightly and four pillars of light shot up to the sky. When it disappeared this huge colossal being fell to the ground in front of us.

"Mention ordeals, and look what comes along!" Fang growls as she stood in front with Hope and Lightning.

"This is not an ordeal." Lightning replies, "This is a gift!" She turns to the boy.

"Hope! This is the kind of power you've got inside. And it's telling you not to give up. Trust me. "

"Oh, I get it. It's here to show you the way." Hope turns his confused face to Fang. "Show you that you've got what it takes to get back on your feet and do this thing!"

"You mean, that came from me?" Hope muttered. As if in response, the giant nodded his head.

_Hope. Don't give up._ He looks up and spotted me on a ledge not too far. My paws dangled off the edge, my ears pricked forward. Since it was Hope's cause and with Fang and Lightning to back him up, I was not needed in battle. Sazh, Vanille and Snow crouched in the grass not too far, watching.

_Go forth Hope. You can do it. _I nodded my head in his direction. He smiles gratefully, grabs his boomerang and stood in front, his eyes full of courage. Lightning and Fang right behind him.

* * *

_Hope's POV_

My legs were shaking but, I can't show any fear, not when Lightning and Fang are by my side. I tackled my Eidolon with all my heart, with all my strength. It was a tough battle but, I managed to do it. When the battle was over, I was looking at my brand, surprise plastered all over my face. Everyone was around me.

"That's some beast you tamed, I'll tell you." Sazh complimented my accomplishment.

"Yeah." I nodded. " I always thought the Eidolons appeared to set us free through death. But now...I think maybe they're here to snap us out of our slumps."

"Oh. Like the one you were just in?" Snow saunters up, teasing me. I laughed.

"I'll ask for help earlier next time around." Vanille runs up to hug me, I was sure my face would turn red but, it didn't.

"I told you. On Gran Pulse, we're all family." She looks at me straight in the eye. "You can moan all you like, but you're stuck with us." We all laughed.

"You're never alone in hell." Sazh commented. Fang didn't take that comment lightly.

"Listen, funnyman, don't call this place hell, all right?" Sazh backed up immediately. Lightning just sighed.

"So, we're all decided then?" Everyone nodded their heads.

_That's right._ I thought as Snow and Sazh decided to laugh and joke around. _This is my family now. _

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

After the affair with Hope's Eidolon Alexander, we walked out of the ruins and came face to face with the great plains of Gran Pulse. There were a bunch of monsters that we have never seen before, prowling about. Star's fur rose a bit but she calmed down, nose sniffing around and her ears pointing forward. Her eyes looked excited at the massive wonders.

"Let's go." Hope was in the lead. We walked through this area known as The Archylte Steppe and while we were walking, this thing appeared. It looked like a crystal fragment.

"This stone, it's-" Vanille sounded surprised as we stopped to inspect it.

"Look familiar?" I asked her.

"It's a kind of Cie'th. It's in the last stage." Fang responded.

"A Cie'th?" I look skeptical.

"Don't worry. It's no threat to anyone anymore." Vanille stepped forward. "L'Cie that fail their Focus become Cie'th and wander the wilds. Eventually, they lose the will to go on and turn to stone. But still, even in this state, they can't forget the task they once had."

"And they call out to l'Cie, over and over: 'Complete my Focus.'" Fang added.

"So they're doomed to eternal regret, huh? That's pretty horrible." Sazh felt sympathy for the poor creature.

"Hey, we should help this one out. Come on, we can't just ignore it." Snow was willing to help this thing out, typical hero. "Listen, if we fail our Focus, it could be us suffering like that."

"Wow, what a happy thought. That's not like you." Sazh made a funny.

"But going out of his way to help someone? That's Snow all over." I replied. So we resumed our journey, stopping now and then to take some side quest provided by the Cie'th stones. We made it through some of the rough terrain and Snow shouts, "There's a way through here!" We navigated our way through his little short cut and popped up in this cavern type area.

"A Gran Pulse fal'Cie made this path." Fang announced.

"Yep. I bet it's off digging more tunnels right now." Vanille said cheerfully.

"They seem different from all the fal'Cie we've seen on Cocoon, you know?" Hope wondered. "It's like they just plow through, without caring what happens around them."

"That's true." Fang agrees. "Then again, we were able to build our village on land cleared by fal'Cie. We lived alongside them, just like you do on Cocoon."

"Oh yeah, this is_ just_ like Cocoon!" Sazh wiggles a finger in her face. I folded my arms across my chest.

"In a world this big, who knows what we'll find?"

"Hopefully something tasty like a chicken drumstick." Star responded to my rhetorical question as she leaps down and padded her way across. I smirked slightly and followed her, the rest close behind us.

* * *

**A/N**: Done with this chapter. Hoped you enjoyed it so far!


	19. Chapter 18: Hecatoncheir and Doubts

**A/N**: Chapter 18 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to RoseWing-chan, Taeniaea and xXxRainbowVeins for reviewing and giving this story some love and attention.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Hecatoncheir and Doubts**

_Lightning's POV_

We made our way through the multiple tunnels and the ground started to heave.

"Well guys, heads up!" Snow calls. This rolling meatball thing rolls past us We all gasped at its enormous size.

"Let me guess. That's a fal'Cie?" Sazh sighs.

"Yep, busy carving out new tunnels." Vanille replies cheerfully.

"Making roads where roads ain't meant to go, huh? Kinda sounds like us." Snow jokes before he pumps his fist. "All right! Roly-poly! Let's hitch a ride on that thing."

"Now you're thinking Gran Pulse style!" Vanille was enthusiastic. We continued on our way and popped out on the other side. Fang and Vanille raced ahead alone. I honestly can't keep up with that girl's spirit as the rest of us decided to take a rest and wait for them to return.

* * *

_Vanille's POV_

While everyone behind us decided to rest their legs Fang and I plowed ahead, surveying the area. I gasp loudly and stooped by some pretty flowers.

"These flowers. You remember them, right?" I turned to Fang.

"Yeah, sure I do. They grew all over Oerba." Fang replies nonchalantly as she walks over. I nodded.

"We can't be far now." I followed Fang and hummed a little tune when Fang asked a question.

"It's my fault Gran Pulse ended up like this, isn't it?" I stopped mid-step, looking at Fang in surprise.

"I remember everything." She continues. "I became Ragnarok. I scarred Cocoon. And I left Gran Pulse in this mess. It was me."

"What are you talking about?"

"It all came back to me. Everything that happened with our Focus. All of it."

"You're lying." At that the brand on my leg began to heat up.

"No, it's the truth. It's all my fault." Fang was still rambling.

"Don't say that!" I yelled at her and my brand ran wild and my Eidolon stood before me.

"The Eidolon knows the truth. Ha! I knew I was right." Fang smiled gleefully.

"Wait, so you _were_ lying." I was appalled.

"No more than you were. Admit it, you remember everything."

"It wasn't! It wasn't your fault." I pleaded for Fang to understand.

"Vanille. We should talk about this later!" Fang stood ready for battle.

"You always push our chats to later and we never got to finish any of them." I huffed. What's scary is that my Eidolon has multiple arms dangling on the side and each one of them has a mind of their own. Fang and I attacked side by side and we held our ground. When we finished the fight and I had obtained my own Eidolon Fang resumed our talk.

"I knew something was off. You've been shying away from our Focus ever since we woke up on Cocoon."

"I..." I mumbled with a soft voice.

"I couldn't figure it out. But then it all made sense, after hearing that story from Raines. You already knew. You knew Ragnarok was the name of destruction." Fang looked dejected.

"It wasn't fair. You had to do all the horrible stuff, and I didn't have to do anyth-" I started to say before she cut me off.

"That is no reason to lie to me! You think that's what I want? You of all people!" She raised her fist and I closed my eyes, terrified and scared that she might hurt me. No blows came and instead she just tapped my forehead with her fist.

"Poor kid. You've had it rough." she looked at me with pity.

"Fang..."

"Listen," She grips my shoulders. "you're not alone anymore."

"I'm so sorry." I sniffles as I started to cry. We embraced and I cried on her shoulder.

"Keep that up and you'll have me crying soon." Fang tries to joke as she tried to calm me down. She never really fond of seeing me cry and it did break her heart.

"We have a new family now. We stick together, you hear me?" I nodded my head and after I dried my eyes we walked back to the others.

* * *

_Star's POV_

When Fang and Vanille came back after their talk we continued onwards. Lightning was in the lead as always, our noble leader and fearless. I trotted after her, my little legs couldn't keep up with her long strides but I manage to get by. Sometimes she'll stop and wait for me to catch up and holds out her hand. I would smile and hold her hand as we walk together, the others following us. I loved Lightning's warmth and surprisingly she'll only show this kind of personality to me and I really love it. We managed to hitch a ride on one of those tunnel-digging fal'Cie and we ended up in another place with a silver waterfall.

As we rested, Snow held up Serah's crystal tear and Vanille walked up.

"Whatcha doing?" She asked him. Snow lowers his hand.

"I was, uh...talking to Serah. Just telling her that...we're all gonna be okay." Snow gave her the crystal and Vanille took a look.

"It's so pretty." She replies, her mind flashes back to the first time she met Serah. They met on the beach and had a girl bonding time.

"You mean you met Serah?" Snow asked Vanille once the flashback ended, completely stunned.

"I tried to hide our Focus, and she ended up a l'Cie. I wanted to say I was sorry, but..." Vanille bit her thumb.

"Well, when we rescue her, maybe you'll get the chance." Snow replies.

"Yeah. I hope so." Vanille nodded.

"Come on." Snow inclined his head and started to walk back to us.

"I think Serah saw the same vision of Ragnarok that we did. Which means, Dysley had to be lying when he explained her Focus. I think she beat it. She handed Cocoon over to us, and that's what made her turn to crystal!" Vanille figured it out.

"Yep! I know." Snow answers. We continued on our way and came out to an open area where the sky was blue and we saw giant winged beast flew above us. I went to go sniff at the wild grass and Lightning walked off somewhere to collect her thoughts.

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

"Hey, Serah. What dreams are you having up there?" I asked to no one in particular, looking at the sky above me. I heard Snow's footstep before I saw him as he walked up to me.

"You figure we can stop here today? I think we're all kind of tired."

"Tell that to Star." I looked at her silhouette a few feet away. Snow watched as she chased a few butterflies around and then decided to chase her own tail with such intensity. As if sensing us watching her antics, she sat on her haunches and tilted her head to the side, tongue lolling out. I smiled and walked over. She immediately crouched down, her haunches wiggling and her ear laying flat against her head. Realizing what she's about to do, I step-sided before she pounced and she landed on Snow instead of me. I laughed as Snow flailed his arms and tried to get out of Star's grasped. Whistling, Star stood up and padded towards me, looming over and staring with such playful eyes.

"Come. Let's go up there." I pointed to a cliff before jumping onto her back and she climbed the cliff to this flat beautiful meadow. We were together, just the two of us up here. Everyone else were below us, resting their feet. I decided to ask for her opinion, ask for her thoughts. "Listen Star, Snow's about to get married soon." She turned her furry head to me and licks my forehead as if this marriage was a good sign in life.

"Eeeww, stop stop that's gross." I playfully wiped the saliva off before she pushed me onto the grass with her furry snout. I laughed as she placed her head on top of me, nuzzling me. I scratched her ears, smiling before pushing myself up. We watched these fluffy seedpods floating through the air for awhile. Star yawned widely, showing off her enormous canine teeth and reverted back to human form.

"What do you think? Is it right for me to just let her go like this? To go marry that baboon of a husband after we are done with this journey?"

"I think you know deep down what is right. You know what to do, whatever you wish or whatever action you take I'll be here to support you." Star said that with such honesty. I believed in her. We sat together, enjoying each others comfort.

* * *

**A/N**: Done. Hope you enjoyed it! Please take my poll as well, it would help in the development of this story. I appreciate it! :D


	20. Chapter 19: Betrayal?

**A/N**: Chapter 19 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix

Special thanks for those who have reviewed so far and gave this story some love and attention.

* * *

**Chapter 19:** **Betrayal?**

_Star's POV_

I really don't understand. Here I am, limping from a bullet wound in my right leg. Everyone left me behind, some of the people don't know who put that bullet in my leg. I'll tell you who: Lightning herself. My guess was that I got angry, upset on her judgment on an issue and we got into a fight. In my mind, this wasn't suppose to happen but it did. Now that I think about it, I realized it was Dysley's fault in the first place. Here's how it happened, we were up on that cliff right? Well after we were done, we continued our journey. It takes us at least a week to reach our destination but with my ability we can get there in a day or two. I bounded across the land, everyone is on my back and they enjoyed the scenery flashing past them. Of course I am no navigator so Fang has to sit on my head and guide me to the spot. Sometimes I swear I could hear Fang teasing Lightning playfully, I'm no fan of Fang but I have some respect for her. When we got closer to our destination, Taejin's Tower it was already nighttime. Everyone got off and I reverted back to my human form, stumbling over to a tree and falling asleep underneath it immediately. Even if I was asleep, my accurate hearing could pick up Fang's response to Snow's idiotic antics, apparently he spilled food all over himself. It was Vanille who was cooking and Fang was angry that Snow wasn't careful and he tried to eat faster than Hope in a contest but, he messed up and spilled it all over. Lightning just sighed, already used to Snow's antics. My nose twitched and I smelled the aroma of food and I knew that Lightning brought something good. Cracking my eyes open lazily, I saw her smiling as she sat next to me. I smiled back and had my share, licking my chops. I gave myself a quick wash at a nearby springs and came back fresh. Lightning was still underneath the tree, her eyes were closed. I nestled my head on her lap and fell asleep again. Lightning rested an arm on my hair, stroking my brown hair slowly. I cracked a smile and we feel asleep.

That's what happened before I got the bullet in my leg. The real story begins here and ends with my bullet wound...

* * *

**_Taejin's Tower..._**

_Star's POV_

We were walking in this structure and Vanille starts to hear this creepy voice or something.

"I'm not the only one hearing that, am I?" She asked the rest of us.

"No, uh..." Snow also heard the noise. "It couldn't be them. Could it?" We were standing in front of some creepy statues. That's when we all heard these voices.

"I don't know. It's weird, like voices in my head." Hope couldn't describe the phenomenon.

"I hear it." Fang agrees, placing a hand on her hip. " 'Your presence here draws the tyrant's gaze. Leave this place at once.'"

"We can't leave, this is the only way for us to get through." Vanille protested. "Please! Help us." More voices and Fang translates for us.

"'As you wish. Look for us, and the way will open.'" The statue moved and then the whole structure started to change shape and rotate around the room. The path opened up to us and we were able to take this transport thing to another area of the tower. We were being bombarded by these strange creatures that wouldn't stop pestering us.

"Great. Here we go again!" Fang sighs with irritation. For once I agree with her, this endless wave of enemies were becoming a nuisance. My option: to use a force so great that they will leave us alone for good. Technically speaking, my attacks did the talking. My fur burst into flames and I charged forward, knocking enemies aside like bowling pins. Some tried to pin me down but my fire burns them to crisp. Everyone followed me, avoiding the smashed pieces that flew through the air. We made our way to the lower levels or somewhere there, led by the statues themselves. They pop up and help us through, showing the way. We end up in a place called the Cloven Spire. Walking around, we were greeted by this fal'Cie who lost it's tail. It became something more feisty and attacked us.

"He's bluffing to scare us off." Hope said.

"He'll have another thing coming if he thinks he is scary." I growled and transformed. I stared this little thing down and roared loudly, teeth gnashing. The being shrank back a bit but it rose to my challenge. Big mistake on his part, I finished it in one second. It happened to be Dahaka and a really feisty one. Everyone gaped as I finished it with one blow and two hits with my claws. It disintegrated into nothing. The statues appeared to say their thanks before disappearing.

"Oerba's down there right?" Hope asked as wee discussed on what to do.

"Yep!" Vanille replied cheerfully.

"What's it like?" Snow asked her.

"Well, it's kind of small. But it's warm and green, and very naturey!" Vanille said as she grins.

"Around the fal'Cie, it was flowers as far as you could see, huh?" Fang adds as Vanille giggles.

"View from here ain't so rosy, I'm sorry to say." Sazh calls out as he looked out. Vanille lowered her head.

"You wanna wait here?" Lightning asked.

"No...I want to see with my own eyes." Vanille looked up determined and we all gathered around to see. After we looked at the land below us, Fang snaps.

"We're chasing shadows. This whole idea of losing our brands is hopeless!"

"Indeed, pitiful l'Cie." We looked up as the Primarch himself lowered before us. We tensed up, staring at him.

"Why are you all staring like that? Such lack of respect my dear children." He chuckles. "Especially, you Star."

"What-? What are you talking about?" My hackles rose and my lips curved up in a snarl.

"I didn't raise you to disrespect your elders now did I? You of all these people should know. That is not how family is suppose to treat each other. In fact, I was the one who brought you to this world, in a sense I am your uncle!"

"You DIDN"T raise me, you're NOT my uncle! We aren't even related!" My eyes blazed in fury. From my peripheral vision I saw everyone's shocked faces, Lightning's was that with stoic expressions and I felt some kind of pained feeling coming from her. Fang snorted and muttered 'traitor', Vanille and Hope looked away, Snow just glared at me and Sazh just couldn't believe it.

"Come on you guys, you know he is lying." I tried to reason my way and for a split second, they believed me but Dysley made that change.

"Tsk Tsk Tsk." He wiggles a finger while shaking his head. "See that? She denies being my love and joy. Very well then, if that is what you believe. I'm sure I can reconsider." He waves his magic staff and everything became dark. My eyes were obscured by the think smoke-like substance. Out of the blue, I get smacked in the face by Snow's fist and then Hope's boomerang came. I fought back against my will but they were too strong for me. I was getting pummeled bad by Vanille and Fang as I tried to escape before running into Lightning. I looked at her scared and she pointed Blaze Saber at me, those eyes were those of a soldier.

"I trusted you." She muttered and squeezed the trigger. Bang. I cried out in pain and the smoke lifted. Dysley was no where to be seen and everyone else were sprawled on the floor.

"W-w-what happened?" They got up, shaking their heads with confusion. I stared at them appalled and scared. I felt pain in my right leg and I looked down, seeing my own blood drip to the ground. That bullet was real and it hurts. My life was in the hands of my friends...sorry my "friends" and I trusted them, especially the one who put the bullet through my leg.

"Yo, Star what happened to you? You look like you lost a fight with a huge goblin." Snow grins and everyone laughs lightly except for Sazh and Lightning. I didn't react, I sat there and didn't budge.

"Come on, we're leaving." Lightning took the lead and they followed before noticing that I didn't move an inch.

"What's wrong?" Vanille walked up to me and I instantly sprang backwards, glaring intensely. She yelped and scrambled back.

"The hell! Star what's the matter with you? You could have hurt someone!" Fang roared at me and I gazed at her, my eyes clouded with mixed emotions. I saw them draw their weapons, ready for me. My mind panicked, I blinked and my vision cleared up but, I still glared at them. _If they were my friends, they wouldn't attack me but..._ I padded around them carefully, my right leg just barely touching the ground because it hurts.

"Calm down Star, you know we won't hurt you..." Hope said pleasantly but I snarled angrily at what he said. They don't understand what had happened.

"Enough...Star if you won't listen to reason, we have no other options but to put you down." Lightning commanded as she stood ready, glaring at me with those piercing blue eyes. I faltered a bit and glanced at our stuff, huddled among the rocks. I walked over and grabbed my pack with my mouth. I gave the group one last glance and walked away, limping with pain. They watched me leave in surprise.

"Wait...your wound..." Vanille stepped forward after noticing my leg but Fang held her back.

"Leave her be, what she does is none of our business now." Fang stated. "She doesn't trust us now and I don't know why...Light?" Lightning gave her a look. "Go and talk to your beast with that telepathic ability you two share."

Lightning huffed and tried to communicate with me. At first, I had this wall to prevent the talking but I let it crumble and I waited for her to speak, sitting on my haunches with my back to the group.

_Star...what happened to you? Why do you act so hostile to us? After that fight with Dysley you changed your behavior...what is going on?_Her voice was soft with a hard edge to it. I thought about it and then I replied.

_Why? Maybe you guys don't know what happened after Dysley shrouded us in darkness. You guys attacked me and it was you Lightning who put a bullet through my leg. _

_That's absurd and you know it! _

_ It is NOT Absurd Light! Look at my leg? That bullet of yours almost shattered my bone, I...I didn't want to believe it but you did do it. I trusted you but...now I just don't know... _

_ Fine...be that way. I am tired of babysitting you and my mission is far more important that yours. From now on, do your own thing. You are no longer part of our group, get out of my sight. _To prove that she really meant it, she aimed Blaze Saber at my head and pulled the trigger. I dodged it and the bullet made a little chip in my right ear before impacting the wall in front. A little blood trickled down but, I didn't react.

"Light! What are you doing?" Vanille screeched at her. Everyone else gasped at her.

"We're leaving." Lightning spun on her heels and walked away. Snow and Sazh followed, not giving me another glance. Fang followed, muttering to herself.

"Let's go Vanille." Hope grabbed her arm and led her away. I felt her eyes on me and I silently wished they knew the truth later on. Their footsteps echoing on the floor as they walked away, leaving me alone with my stuff. I silently cried, my huge tears trickled down my face and I looked at the sky, watching the sunset. After a few minutes I looked back to where they left and sighed, my ears laying flat on my head. Gently grabbing my stuff, I trotted away in the opposite direction, the bullet still in my leg. That wasn't the only pain I felt, my heart shattered into many pieces with in my chest and I couldn't stop my tears from cascading down my furry face.

* * *

**A/N**: Done with this chapter. Hope it made sense and you enjoyed it! :D


	21. Chapter 20: Life on a farm

**A/N**: Chapter 20 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to those who have reviewed so far and has given this story some love and attention.

* * *

**Chapter 20: Life on a farm**

_Lightning's POV_

My mind was really reeling, not only did Star leave the group but she ACCUSED me of putting a bullet through her leg. I didn't believe her and I actually pointed my gun at her head. Damn my life doesn't come easy. I looked at everyone trailing behind me and sighed. Somehow, without Star everyone's mood became disgruntled and despair like. Vanille and Hope were together in the back, talking amongst themselves. Fang, Sazh and Snow were looking somewhere else, their minds wondering off in different directions. With a disarrayed group of troops, there was NO way we can defend Cocoon not to mention defeat Dysley. I caught Fang's eye and inclined my head, silently asking her to take the lead for once. She nodded though she gave me a skeptical look before she took the lead. I trailed behind everyone, letting my own mind wonder off. Frankly what was on everyone's mind, was the fact that Dysley shattered the trust between us. Without trust, we are just a rag-tag team of l'Cie going against the Sanctum.

"Look out!" Hope shouted, shaking me out of my thoughts and we ducked as a group of PSICOM soldiers and fliers zoomed overhead. They disappeared a few seconds later, their droning noises still audible.

"Looks like they're on a hunt or something." Vanille spoke, tilting her head.

"Yeah. Probably something huge if it requires that huge group of numbers. Well as long as they aren't hunting us, I'm not complaining." Snow muttered. Hope and Fang nodded but, I glanced in the direction the PSICOM soldiers disappeared. Half of my heart felt pain and the other half felt relieve. I felt as though I was torn in two. Sure Star had been with us for a while and though her departure hurt us all, it cut me deep...really deep...deeper than the rest of us. However, it wasn't as deep as when Serah left me.

"Hello? Earth to Light? You ok?" I snapped and saw Fang giving me a really curious look.

"What is it Fang?" I asked and she lightly tapped my forehead with a knuckle.

"We're leaving and you're standing there like a stupid oaf...oh sorry that's Snow. You're more like a stoic soldier who must have had something stuck up––"

"If you finish that sentence, I'll make sure you would never live to see the lights of day again.." I growled angrily as Fang tried to keep a straight face but failed at it. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder to support herself since she was laughing really hard as she finished the sentence in her head and I had to drag us both to the others who waited patiently.

"Let's go. I'm taking the lead for awhile." Laughing subsided, Fang regained composure as she announced boldly and walked in front, everyone else following her.

* * *

_Star's POV_

"Grrrrrr God Damn it!" I growled with frustration as I patched my leg the best I could. After a few days of limping and not gaining much distance to wherever I'm going, the leg got infected and it hurts like hell. I learned the basic medical skills from Vanille and Hope when Lightning wasn't watching but, none of them taught me how to clean up an infected wound. I applied gauze and wrapped my leg with rags, the bloodied ones littered on the ground. I figured that working my way slowly on three limbs was better than hopping on one. Luckily in my wolf form, the bindings fit perfectly around my right leg. I carried my backpack full of belongings in my mouth as I limped along. Unfortunately, luck was never on my side and I heard PSICOM drones closing in before I saw them. Quickly I dove into some thick shrubs and transformed back into human form as they hovered to the ground. Some of the troops looked around, searching for signs of their target which was me. They found my wolf prints on the ground, those things are not hard to miss.

"Look around, she couldn't go far with that leg wound." One of the soldiers ordered.

"Lucky for us, she was wounded by one of her own so hopefully she'll be a little bit easier to capture. She wouldn't last a year out here anyway." Another one exclaimed as the men continued their patrols. They never suspected the bushes and after a few minutes of searching, left for another area. My head popped up and I made sure they were completely gone. Dragging myself out, I quickly transformed and left with my belongings. I made some stops along the way...I don't even know where I'm going and I think I might be lost. One of the rest spots was this spring I found. The water was sparkling and I gently dipped a paw to test the temperature. It was warm and slowly I allowed my whole body to slip in, tail and all. The water worked it's wonder because my wound infection lightened up a bit, it didn't hurt as much but it still hurts. I sighed as I rest my paws on the bank, allowing the water to sink into the pores of my skin. I felt bliss and I felt as though I was in heaven but, I know I am far from it. I got out before I started pruning and limped away, looking back at the spring with all of its majestic beauty. I call it the Magical Springs and I was sure to return when I'm done with my journey.

Now about those PSICOM soldiers...they caught up with me and now I'm running for my life, limping for my life. With my infected leg wound, I used the rest of my limbs to get me somewhere...anywhere. Even if I have three limbs, I'm still pretty fast. The only thing I hate is that...I'll be frank here, I'm freaking HUGE. Remember how I said that I was almost as tall as Barthandelus himself? Yeah, I'm not that hard to spot. I had two options here: One is being the way I am, huge and easily spotted. Two is going human and allow myself to be slower and literally drag my foot. I spotted a farm up ahead and decided to go with option two and immediately shrunk in size, disappearing within the tall canopies. The PSICOM group flew overhead and missed my hiding place. I smiled as I heard their droning disappear and quickly made my way to that farm I saw, night time was falling fast.

* * *

_At the farm..._

The family I met at the farm were friendly and frankly I'm surprised that they live out here by themselves. Their daughter Emily is only 8 and the most adorable thing I've ever seen. Her mother Susan helped me patch my wound, she was a veteran in the war so she knows her things. Her father Robert, was a farmer/ business man. He works in the fields on the weekends and goes to the city which was a few miles away for some business and leaves his wife and daughter to tend to the animals and such. Since I had to repay my debt because Susan fixed my leg, I spent my days on their farm: weeding, plowing, planting, shopping, playing with Emily and cooking. I had to show the family who I really was, which was hard because they the parents, shrieked when I morphed in their house, not a lot of space and my back almost damaged the ceiling. Emily didn't mind, she would giggle and grab my fur. She started calling my name, then changed it when I'm in wolf form and so she mingled them both together and now she calls me Star Wolfie.

"Star Wolfie! Star Wolfie!" She would call out as we played together, don't worry my paws were sheathed so that they won't hurt her. We would play horse, hide and seek or peek-a-boo. I felt as though I belonged here, life on a farm was much more rewarding than I ever thought possible. At night, I would sleep in the hayloft in the barn and crack open the window to stare at the stars above me. Sometimes, I wish I could stay here forever. However, I began to feel a little homesick. Being with this family brings back memories of my own and I really want to get back as soon as possible.

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**A/N**: Done! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please take my poll on this story, it would really help in the development of future chapters. :D


	22. Chapter 21: Boss Battle: Barthandelus 2

**A/N**: Chapter 21 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to those who have reviewed and gave this story some love and attention.

* * *

**Chapter 21: Boss Battle: Barthandelus 2**

_Lightning's POV_

Continuing on our journey led us to a major mistake. Here's what happened, we were journeying through Oerba, the Derelict Depot to be exact. We were wandering around and my ears detected someone's voice, chanting.

_Ragnarok. Come Day of Wrath, O Pulse l'Cie...Embrace thy fate, thine home to burn...That fallen souls might bear our plea...To hasten the Devine's return. O Piteous Wanderer, Ragnarok...Make of this day a brave epoch. _The group stopped as Serah materialized in front of us, my eyes widened in shock. There is no mistaking that necklace around her neck.

_Deliver the Divine. Ragnarok. _

"What?" I whispered in surprise.

"Serah!" Snow was equally shocked and or surprised, "How did you–?" She gave him a smile.

" I was waiting. For you to open your eyes." They embraced while Sazh looked a little skeptical at this reunion. He felt something wasn't right but, he didn't want to ruin the moment.

"All the time I was asleep, I knew what was happening. I kept trying to think up a way to save Cocoon–– together."

"Serah?" Snow noticed the tone in her voice and hastily shoved her away.

"You get it now." She says as she looked at us all. The mechanical owl flew above our heads as Serah continued to talk. "There are no gods with miracles to save us, no matter where you look. That's why we have to call one. Destroy Orphan. We'll save the world!" She had that very creepy/sinister smile plastered on her face.

" Stop it!" I shouted, glaring at her. My mind was in totally disbelief at what she just said.

"You can't do that. You love me too much." Serah spoke in a sing-song voice. "You do. Don't you, Claire?" At the mention of my real voice, I hesitated, stepping back for a split second as we held our gaze.

"Enough already!" Snow stepped in as Serah smirked. "Listen up. We are all shooting for the same goal here. " After he said that, Serah's body glowed a bright light and we were forced to look away.

"And the result of that is this." Dysley's voice said as the Primarch himself stood before us. He was the Serah imposter. Some lucky luck for us, always meeting him of all people. My hatred for him grew another notch and I was itching to kill him with my bare hands.

"You son of a–" Snow rushed in to attack but missed. He tried one more time and was blown back by Dysley's barrier.

"You betray your fal'Cie to chase after dreams and shadows. The world you claim to wish to protect now faces the end of days with no hope of salvation."

"I didn't think fal'Cie had the means." I growled.

"Oh, it won't be fal'Cie who destroy her." Dysley replied, " For centuries now, Cocoon has provided generously for its human inhabitants' every want and need. Coddled them, one might even say. The result being their deep-seated fear and hatred of change and all things alien. Fed, nurtured, and ready to detonate at the slightest spark. The seeds of destruction take root, even now."

"What did you do to Cocoon?" I asked, armed with Blazefire Saber and ready to attack.

"I resigned, appointing Raines as Primarch in my stead." He said smugly.

"Raines? He's alive?" Snow was shocked.

"The puppet is restrung to serve my needs, yes. Its eyes had long since turned to glass. Of course, the Cavalry's eyes will see our friend as nothing more than a traitor to their cause. They'll say the fal'Cie got to him too, or some such drivel. And imagine – when I spread word that it's Orphan tugging at his strings – what happens next."

"You're gonna use the Cavalry to take the thing out?" Sazh asked. A smile graced Dysley's lips.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps I'll feign the howling of Pulsian wolves and let the fear-addled sheep slaughter themselves first. Either way, the end is at hand. But what of yourselves? Will you enjoy the festivities beside me? Or perhaps..." He held his staff high and the owl merged with it. Now this isn't like the first Barthandelus we fought, this guy is on a whole new level.

"**Greet the end here, in the land where it all began?" **

We rushed into battle immediately, unleashing our best attacks while dodging his attacks. We pushed him back and here was our mistake. Before we finished him off, he calls for backup. Fucking bastard CALLS for backup. We were surrounded by PSICOM soldiers of all kind and Barthandelus himself chuckled with happiness. We fell into his trap.

"**What are you gonna do now, Sergeant?**" He smiled as I growled with frustration. Hope was about to panic and that put everyone on edge.

"If only Star was here..." I muttered to myself.

"**If you are thinking about that wolf, you can forget about her.**" Barthandelus smirked as he read my mind. "**It is because of you Farron that she left, why would she come back? She's safe where she is, not in a rag-tag team of l'Cie. Her salvation will not help you at all and now that your lives are in my hands, failure is your best option. Surrender Farron!**"

"Light, don't do it!" Snow whispered to me. "What about Serah? Are you going to give up on her as well? So what if Star's not here, we can manage by ourselves."

"Snow, I hope you have had your eyes check but, we're surrounded by A LOT of things." Hope replied shakily, his silver eyes darting back and forth.

"Hope's right, none of our magic attacks can blast them all away." Vanille whispered. "Maybe we can blow away half but they are getting replaced with more and more."

"Sergeant," Fang looked at me when she said that, "this is a really bad move ya? We should have looked for Star when we had the chance."

"..." I thought deeply. While it's true that Star could blow them all away with just one attack, it's also true that we won't give up without a fight.

"**Well Farron, what's your decision?**" Barthandelus asked. I looked towards my left then towards my right. Everyone with me are ready to give their lives for a cause they believed in.

"My decision...is to defeat you! Now everyone!" At my command, everyone unleashed whatever they could and the battle continued.

* * *

_Star's POV_

_At the farm..._

I lifted my head and stared out the window. I had an apron on, clearly washing the dishes when I looked up. It was still early like about 8:00 pm. Frankly I couldn't describe this feeling but, it didn't make me comfortable.

"Star Wolfie...what's wrong?" Emily walked in and looked at me puzzled, seeing my far-away glance and the dish in my hand waiting to be dried off.

"Oh...i-it's nothing." I replied, drying off the dish and taking off the apron.

"Okay, just making sure. I want to show you something." Emily led me to her bedroom, her parents were setting on the couch watching T.V. Emily's room is comfortable, fairly big and full of color. What Emily wanted to show me was her music editions, she has two drawers full of records and CDs. For an 8 year old, she has good taste in music. I never heard of music before so I dug around and decided to try one of them. The mellow music sound was nice and I immediately fell in love with it . Emily found me mouthing the words to it and she smiled.

"You like that one?"

"You know it." I replied

" I heard that if you sing it out loud and clear, your closest friend would here it from miles and miles away." Emily giggled.

"Have you tested that myth out yet?" I gave her a look.

"No."

"I see." I nodded my head and tuned her out, listening to the pure sweet harmony instead.

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**A/N**: Done. Hope you liked this chapter.


	23. Chapter 22: Prison lifestyle?

**A/N**: Chapter 22 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to those who have reviewed and gave this story some love and attention.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Prison lifestyle?**

_Lightning's POV _

"Wake up Sergeant Farron."

My eyes opened slowly, dimly aware of where I was. It was dark all around and the smell was horrid. I then realized that I was chained to the wall of my confinement. My instincts kicked in and I struggled against the iron cuffs.

"That won't work."

"Why am I here? Where are my friends?" I growled out. The voice chuckled.

"Your friends are here, Sergeant. You forgot already? You fell in the battle with Barthandelus." My mind flashed back to the fight. We were surrounded by Barthandelus and his army, refusing to bow before him. At my signal everyone unleashed every bit of strength and energy to power a way through. We almost made it before running out of strength and blacked out, the swarm falling on top of us.

"So that's how I ended up here. Why are we still alive then?" I already knew the answer but I wanted to make sure.

"Dysley wants your group to stay alive until your execution day."

"Execution?"

"That's right. The Primarch wants the people to see an execution of l'Cies. We guards don't know the date exactly but for now he wants to keep you l'Cie alive until then. Speaking of which, each one of you have different days of execution." With that said, the guard walked off. I grimaced as my mind tried to think of something. Right now, I'm chained to the wall, my friends are somewhere near and we have execution days.

"Light!" Snow's voice called out to me.

"Snow?! Where are you?" I responded a little too eagerly.

"Somewhere, it's too dark to see. Apparently I'm chained to a wall, don't know why." Was his reply.

"Well at least your chained to a WALL." Hope's voice responded sarcastically. "I'm chained to the FLOOR! Do you have any idea about HOW dirty this floor is?! Millions of germs and stuff...ewwww!"

"Suck it up man." Sazh's voice cried out. "I'm hanging upside down from the ceiling! If I don't get a nosebleed soon, my head'll explode!"

"Quit your whining!" Fang's voice growled. "This isn't so bad."

"Speak for yourself Fang." Vanille's voice squeaked. "I'm hanging upside down and my back is against yours. Why did they tie the two of us together?"

"If your upside down, that means your feet is against my head? Gross..." Fang growled angrily.

"Hey, my feet are clean thank you very much." Vanille retorted.

"Ok everyone, stop panicking." I tried to keep my voice leveled because of the situation we're in...not to mention the different positions everyone is chained to the wall, floor and ceiling.

"We're not panicking sergeant." Fang's voice said. "We're all in a bind here."

"We figured that out when we woke up Fang." Sazh mumbled. Thanks to Fang's sharp hearing, she heard that comment.

"What was THAT old man?! You wanna piece of me huh?!" She angrily pulled on the chain, trying to get free to pummel the man.

"Fang! You're making my back hurt!" Vanille yelped.

"Waaahh, a rat stepped on my face!" Hope squealed from the floor.

"Oops here's my nosebleed!" Sazh said, trying to use any means necessary to stop the blood rush since his hands were in a bind. The baby chocobo chirped with worry and used its body to stop the blood rush.

"Guys...SHUT UP!" I screeched, getting irritated and annoyed with the chatter. The place got quiet as they waited for me to speak. I shook my head, clearing the ringing in my ears. Honestly, this wasn't how it was to end up. We were going to win against that Dysley, there was no room for failure yet...we managed to find ourselves stuck.

"Have you heard about our execution dates? Each one of us is going to be executed separated in public."

"THAT"S BULLSHIT!" Fang roared, struggling against the chains again. "Like hell we're giving up already. We need to think of a way to free ourselves and get out of here."

"I agree." Vanille added from her position. "We've made it this far and we have to keep going."

"Even if we're knocked down to the ground, we'll get back up." Hope said. "Whatever happens, we'll get through it...together."

"Right...together..." I murmured. Everyone must have heard sadness in my voice because they started to try and cheer me up.

"Come on sis, if you are still worried about what happened...you know...I'll just say that it wasn't your fault." Snow's voice sounded hopeful.

"...but it was..." My voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Light...why don't you talk to her by telepathy?" Hope asked. My eyes widened. _Of course, we always talked by using telepathy. I haven't done it for a long time...it wouldn't hurt to try. _Closing my eyes, I focused hard, to try to re-connect with her...my partner.

_Star? Can you hear me? _

Nothing happened. I sighed, re-opening my eyes.

"Nothing huh?" Snow inquired. My silence told him that it was true.

"It's been a while since you made connection. It's ok, we'll try again later. Right now we'll get some rest. Who knows what they have in store for us." Hope offered. Even when we're separated, everyone agreed. I closed my eyes and fell into a silent slumber.

* * *

_Star's POV_

I opened my eyes, headphones draped over my head. I borrowed Emily's headset and that song I really loved. I felt something tugging at my mind, this familiar tug. It's not that I forgot about it, I just haven't used it in a long time, ever since that fight with Dysley. I had a barrier up to prevent any communication between us however just now...that tug...it was her. Unfortunately, I wasn't in a mood to talk to her because I didn't know what to say. I know that I need to apologize to her immediately but not at this moment. I sighed, closed my eyes and placed the headphones back over my ears, the world vanishing underneath me as I was pulled into the melody, singing its way through the headphones and into my head.

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**A/N**: Done. Hoped you enjoyed it so far! :D

Please take my poll for this story, it means a lot to me and it'll help with future chapters.


	24. Chapter 23: Act of Defiance

**A/N**: Chapter 23 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to RoseWing-chan, Taeniaea, SerketLily and Wolf of Chains for reviewing and giving this story some love and attention.

* * *

**Chapter 23: Act of Defiance **

_Star's POV..._

"Star Wolfie, let's go to the farmer's market!" Emily smiled as she put her shoes on.

"Do we need to get supplies?" I asked her, letting the headphones drape over my neck.

"Well since you're at home a lot doing the usual chores, I wanted to do something different." She smiled. "You never went to a farmer's market before right? Now's your chance!"

"That sound's nice." Susan's voice said through the kitchen. "It crossed my mind that we do need a few things so this is the perfect opportunity." Some rustling noises followed and then Susan handed me the list. "Here's the money to pay for this things. Off you go now!" She pushed us out the door and waved us goodbye.

The farmer's market wasn't as lively as I suspected, it wasn't crowded either. Everyone was so serious, giving us glares in order to intimidate us into buying their remedies and other items. If you thought I was a nice person before think again...I am quite scary when I get mad. Here's a situation, one of the merchants tried to hassle Emily into buying something from his stand. Emily shook her head no and tried to walk off when he grabbed her arm, trying to reel her back. Every merchant in the aisle saw it but didn't do anything because, according to them, this guy was number 1, a boss, a ring leader. Thanks to this guy, there wasn't any business running in the market, everyone was afraid of coming to buy their usual stuff. Emily was screaming, trying to get out of his grasp but he kept a tight grip on her, laughing like a pedophile. I was at another stand talking to the owner when I heard Emily screaming for help. Seeing a young child being molested by a merchant is totally wrong. I attacked first, kicking the man in the face. He reeled backwards from the force, falling on a bunch of fruits. All the other merchants laughed silently as I placed Emily in a safe place with our groceries.

"Star Wolfie..." Emily looked at me with teary eyes. I glanced at her wrist, the mark of the man's hand was visible on her skin.

"Wait here, I'll be right back." I smiled before I locked my eyes on the merchant, who staggered out with a piece of fruit on his head, the juice dripping down his face.

"You bitch...look at what you have done!" He screams at me.

"Treating a young girl the way you just did isn't right. It's time for someone to put you in your place." I growled, cracking my knuckles.

"Hmph, you think you can take ME on?!" He laughs as he ripped his shirt off, huge muscles bulging in a way that made me almost puke on sight. He just kept on laughing, swinging those huge muscles around, not caring if he damaged a few stands along the way.

"What now, little girl?" He grins my way. "Think you can stop the amazing and brilliant me?"

_I think this guy is over-confident because he knows I'll wipe the floor with him hands down. _"Bring it on!" I gestured for him to strike first. He rushed towards me and fell flat on his face, slipping on a fruit peel. The other merchants roared with laughter.

_Is this guy for real? One attack and he falls on his face...what an idiot. _I watched him get to his feet and he glares at me with hatred.

"You placed that thing there didn't you? You'll pay!" He ran at me.

_Not only is he stupid, he's...quick to anger._ I step-sided as he rushed past, flying into another stand. He turned around and pounced on me. We scuffled around, kicking, biting, scratching. People quickly dodged our bouncing bundle left and right. We separated, panting heavily. While he had a lot of bruises, two black eyes and multiple scratches, I only had a broken arm.

"This is gone on long enough...with this attack, I'll make sure you never show your face again." I stated, holding my head high and proud.

"Ha, says you and what army?" He laughs loudly before the sound got stuck in his throat. He wasn't staring at a girl anymore but the angry face of a beast with burning topaz eyes.

"You were saying?" My lips curled up, showing my shiny stainless-steel teeth. The guy turned white as chalk and took off running wailing mommy. The merchants cheered, whooped and hollered, now they can sell items without the fear of him returning anytime soon. Emily jumped into my arms, crying and bawling her eyes out. We said good-bye to the other merchants and returned back to the farm. Susan quickly patched us up, crying and cursing at the same time. I had to cover Emily's ears when she's in her cursing state, saving her ears from some intense cursing. After dinner, Emily and I went up to the loft in the barn and did some star-gazing. The night was wonderful, I pointed out some of the constellations and Emily drew them in a sketchbook she brought with her. Our bond together was special to me yet it made me kind of sad. Emily and I, our bond reminds me of my bond with Light. I still feel the light tugs in my mind, the familiar tugs but, I just didn't know how to respond. My heart was still in a denial state and I decided to wait until the time was right to start and let Lightning through to my mind.

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

Our lives in our confinement was grueling. Every morning, guards would come in and give us 50-100 lashings with the whip followed by a 10 mile hike, our binds on of course. This type of punishment was something I could handle it but Hope and Vanille are on the verge of breaking. Dysley's plan of making us look horrible and defeated looking weren't working...yet. Hope and Vanille kept their chins up, unafraid. Snow sometimes step in to protect the younger ones in the group thus giving him extra lashings and mile runnings. Day 1, Day 2, Day 10, Day 20...days passed by and I lost count as I focused on getting through the morning routines. My guess the first one to break was Hope, the poor boy just couldn't take the pressure anymore and he collapsed right than and there. We tried to get him to stand up but he just layed there. We had no choice, soon Vanille and Sazh followed Hope, both collapsing under pressure. Fang, Snow and I were the only ones left to stand. The three of us kept moving, enduring the lashings and the hiking. Snow fell down after he couldn't endure anymore.

"I'm...sorry Light...you and Fang...keep going." Were his last words. Fang nudged my shoulder and we moved on to finish the hike. We kept it up, Fang and I, neither of us bowing down to Dysley nor his disgusting program to break our spirits. Fang went down, unable to continue when we were doing the hike. She fell and didn't get up. I tried to get her to stand up, using my shoulder as support but Fang didn't want to move.

"Get going...sergeant." Fang muttered as I knelt beside her. "You mustn't...let them win...don't worry about...me ya hear?"

"Fang..."

"Just go...Hope, Snow, Vanille, Sazh and I...we'll be ok..." Fang smiles before laying her head back down, closing her eyes. I got up and took off, finishing up the hike for the millionth time. I lost count. Every morning I do this thing solo, by myself. I refused to utter a sound of weakness, refused to look weak in front of them. Some of the guards look at me speechless when I finish the round, breathing heavily but not stumbling in my proud stride. I just glared at them and walk past with dignity. My progress was so great that even Dysley himself came to see me. He stood in front of me and I glared at him in response.

"Pitiful l'Cie why do you still defy your fate? Everyone else has long since given in to theirs..." He chuckled and traced my jaw line with his finger. I shuddered a bit and immediately snapped my teeth on the finger, drawing blood. Dysley retracted his hand and looked at the bleeding appendage.

"You're getting feistier that ever I see..." He raised his right hand and slapped me hard. My eyes widened with surprise as the hand made contact with my face.

"Be warned l'Cie, your days are coming to an end." With that he left. I sighed, letting the sting from his slap to subside a bit. I growled angrily, straining against my shackles.

_There was no way I'd let him win. He will be defeated...I'll make sure of that. _

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**A/N**: Done. Hoped it was ok. Please take my poll since it would help with my up-coming chapters of this story, it's much appreciated. :D


	25. Chapter 24: Execution Date Set

**A/N**: Chapter 24 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to those who have reviewed this story.

* * *

**Chapter 24: Execution Date Set. **

_Star's POV..._

I haven't heard of the group's situation until I was watching T.V. with Emily. We were sitting together, eating popcorn while watching a movie when this news broadcaster interrupted the good part.

"Hey!" Emily pouted, "We were in the middle of a good part!" She threw some popcorn at the screen hoping that the anchor person gets hurt by the projectile popcorn kernels.

"Wait..." I stopped her action, staring at the screen. "This is important." Grabbing the remote, I turned up the volume a bit.

"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news." The voice spoke. "The Primarch has captured some l'Cie and plans to execute them in the public square. According to our intelligence unit, 6 l'Cies were apprehended and taken to the confinement to await their punishment. The Primarch has dealt the blows in order to break their spirits but, the l'Cies kept their heads up in defiance. The Primarch himself assigned their execution days soon and we know that the first one will be two days from now. We still haven't receive word on which one he is planning to execute but until we do, we'll get it to the public immediately."

I turned off the T.V. and sat down shakily, my mind wrapping itself around the information I just got.

"Are they your friends?" Emily asked me and I absent mindedly nodded. She smiled and went to the kitchen to talk with her mom. After a few minutes the two of them walked over to where I was. I gave them a faraway look as they sat down opposite of me.

"Star..." Susan gripped my hands gently. "I know that this piece of news is shocking to you and that your mind is full of thoughts on how to proceed with this new information." I nodded, glancing at the blank T.V.

"However, I understand that your friends are important to you. If you need to go, than go."

"Susan..." I looked at her, my eyes rekindling their glow. "Is it possible for me to go to my friends? I don't even know if the Primarch is searching for me and if so than you guys are in danger!"

"That doesn't matter." Susan placed a hand on my shoulder. "Your friends are the ones in danger. If you were a true friend, a true companion then you must go back."

_A true friend? A true companion? _My mind flashed back to the times I had fun with the group, how much each and every one of us shared a bond together. We were family and family sticks together, through the good and bad times.

"Star Wolfie..." I looked as Emily handed me my backpack. " I took the liberty of packing stuff for you. You must rescue your friends because they need you."

"But...what about you? Will you be ok without me?" I was saddened because I had to part with a family I grew accustomed to during my stay.

"I'll be fine so don't you worry." Emily smiled and she hugged me tightly. "I put the headphone set in your backpack, you can keep it." I sniffed lightly as I hugged her back, unable to let her go. I walked out of the door and shouldered my backpack. Turning around, I bowed deeply.

"Thank you for letting me stay here when I was wounded."

"We can't thank you enough Star, for everything you've done. Have a safe trip." Susan told me as she kissed my forehead lightly.

"You promise to come back once in a while and play with me again you hear!" Emily said, smiling happily.

"Yeah...I promise with all my heart." I smiled.

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise." We held our word and I left, waving goodbye to the family.

_I'm coming you guys._ I thought as I bounded down the road. _I was wrong about...about...whatever I did wrong_. _Please hang on until I arrive. _

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

"Did you hear the news yet l'Cie?" Dysley's voice shook me from my slumber and I squinted into the dark at the silhouette of the man I hate.

"Dysley you sick man, how are we suppose to hear the news if we are cooped up in here?!" Snow's voice answered angrily. After the torture, all of us were chained together in one cell. Before we were chained in separate cells now we are together. Of course Hope's back on the floor; Sazh, Fang and Vanille are hanging from the ceiling and that leaves Snow and I chained to the wall.

"Oh don't fret about it," Dysley waved his hand dismissively. "I'll tell you than. One of you," He points a finger at every one of us, "have a date with the executioner two days from now." He laughs and left the chamber.

"Damn it!" Fang growls as she looks up at the shackles. "Now we're crow food waiting to die."

"Is this really it? Is this how it all ends?" Hope mumbled from the floor.

"All I wish before I die is to see my son Dajh again." Sazh sighed as he hung upside down. "I don't want to die until I know he is in safe hands."

"You thinking about giving up already?!" Snow snarls angrily. "Are we giving in to that old man? We still have the energy to fight so why not fight?! We have dreams right? We have to endure as long as we can so that our dreams come true."

"That's not possible." I answered, closing my eyes.

"Light? Not you too..." Snow looks in my direction, his voice full of hurt. "You're our leader and you're giving up already?! What happened to saving Serah? Where did all of your courage go? Have you turned into a spineless wimp?"

"YOU THINK I WANT TO GIVE UP?!" I roared back at him, my voice full of authority and power that everyone shut their traps immediately. " YOU THINK THAT THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU AND SERAH?! Don't. Make. Me. Laugh. Who do you think you are Mr. Hero? For your information, we are hanging here with nothing to do except wait for our execution dates and you think we can get out of this mess with just a snap of a finger?! Get your head out of your ass because that's impossible to do since our hands are tied up so do us all a favor and BE QUIET!"

Snow was taken back by my furious, harsh tone and he stayed silent like the rest as I catched my breath. Yelling can be very hard to muster and I was starting to get weaker and weaker. No doubt, Dysley was about to get his wish after all.

_No, I can't think like that._ I angrily shook my head to clear the thoughts. _Dysley will never win. Wait...with what's going on in the world outside us, maybe Star's heard of our situation. Maybe she'll rescue us...oh who am I kidding? Right now she won't talk to me so I figure she's still mad. There's nothing I can do, there's nothing anyone can do. My best option of saving everyone is to make sure that the execution date two days from now is mine. I am the leader as Snow said so as leader...that execution date will be mine alone._

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**A/N**: Done with this chapter, hope it was ok. Please take my poll because it will help with the development of this story in later chapters.


	26. Chapter 25: Saving all but one

**A/N**: Chapter 25 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to RoseWing-chan, xXRainbowVeins, Taeniaea, SerketLily and Wolf of Chains for reviewing.

* * *

**Chapter 25: Saving all but one**

_Star's POV..._

_I can't be too far now, the trail ends in this abandoned warehouse_. I looked around the area, sniffing with my nose to the ground. It was sunset already, my journey from the farm to following the group's scent towards the abandoned place took up most of my time. The trail was stale and I had a few problematic areas where I lost the scent completely. I peered inside the building and saw nothing but old machinery and boxes. Reverting back to human form, I crept in, looking in every nook and cranny.

_Creak_. I paused and looked at where the floorboard creaked underneath my feet._ Underground cellar? _I walked around carefully and propped the floor up, revealing a staircase into darkness. I entered silently, my eyes narrowed in order to adjust my surroundings. Dark, smelly and it was hot, most defiantly a place for crime suspects.

"Eeew this is horrible." I gagged to myself as I walked from cell to cell, looking through the bars at total darkness. There were no lights to light the way, the only source of light is by windows.

"Aaaaaahhhhh damn, we're in a mess now aren't we?" Fang's voice reached my ears. I quickly followed the voice.

"There's no hope, there's no hope." Hope's voice kept muttering over and over.

"Get a grip boy." Sazh's voice sounded. "You're insulting your own name for crying out loud and you call yourself Lightning's pupil? I thought she taught you better than this whiny attitude of yours."

"Sazh don't tease him." Vanille's voice scolded the old man. "We're all in this mess together and we'll get out of it somehow..."

"Guys!" I whispered loudly, gripping the iron bars.

"No fucking way...you actually appeared." Fang's voice sounded relieved.

"Better late than never huh Star!" Vanille squealed with delight. The guys sighed with happiness.

"Look, I need to talk to Light. Is she here?" My nose told me that she was here 1 hour ago.

"Just missed her. Some PSICOM soldiers took sergeant away." Fang snorted with disgust. "If I wasn't tied up, I'll kick their ass so bad they wouldn't dare to return."

"Typical Fang." Vanille sighed.

"I'll get you out." I looked around and found a padlock. No key? No problem, I used my claw to pick it and slipped in quietly. Thanks to poor lighting, I tripped over Hope when I went to Vanille and Fang first. "Vanille...are you hanging upside down?"

"Apparently." She replied.

"Star if you drop Vanille on her head, you will have something else coming." Fang threatened me.

"Okay Fang." I replied simply and lowered Vanille carefully to the floor. She dusted herself off and gave me a squeeze. She went to help Fang while I released Hope from the floor.

"T-t-thanks." He dusted himself off, shuddering about how many germs were on his body. Fang and Vanille helped Sazh while Hope and I went to get Snow.

"Alright! Let's kick Dysley's–!" Snow fell over and we had to help him back to his feet.

"What did Dysley do to you guys?" I asked. Most of the gang were wobbling around, Sazh was already on the floor and Vanille was supporting Fang.

"We'll fill you in on the way, let's get out of here first." Vanille stated and I lead the way out. Nightfall and everyone stumbled outside for the first time.

"Sweet freedom." Snow sighed as Hope nodded. Sazh took a deep breath and smiled.

"Where do we go now?" Fang looked at me.

"Hmmm why don't I take you guys to this place I stayed at for a while?" I offered and they nodded. "Hop on." With that I dashed off, my riders on my back. We got to the farm in less than an hour and I tapped the door lightly with my paw, whining softly.

"Star Wolfie!" Emily's head poked out and she rushed to hug my snout as I lowered myself to the ground to let everyone off. Susan and her husband came out and I did the introductions. The family smiled warmly and helped everyone in.

"Rest assured," Susan told me as she was tending to Snow's wounds. "They'll be ok, just a few whip marks. A week or so and they'll be healed."

"Thanks Susan, this is the second time you and your family are willing to help l'Cies. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?"

"You don't need to do anything Star." She smiled at me. "Your presence and seeing Emily happy is enough. You know? She wouldn't stay away from the door after you left. She'll never let you go. Now about your friends, I'll have them healed in no time. For the time being, they'll help around the house and stuff like you did. Is that fair?"

Everyone nodded, eager to repay her kindness. While the family got the guest rooms ready, Fang approached me and beckoned me out of the house. Seeing that everyone else were busily helping around, I excused myself and followed Fang.

"Here." She gave me Lightning's Blazefire Saber, which was sheathed in its case. "I felt this item hanging around my neck after Light left. She must've put it on my neck herself."

"I see." I strapped the case to my waist just like Lightning. Fang hugged me, "Bring her back ya hear? If you don't, I swear by Lady Luck I'll find you two myself and haul you both back to where you belong."

"Fang..." I gripped her tightly, "I promise. In return, look after the family. They're really nice and I'm sure that you'll love them."

"Deal." She smiled and released me. I went back into the house to say goodbye and left without another word, bounding down the road.

_I'm coming Light, please hang on. I'll coming to save you soon. _

* * *

_Lightning's POV_

"You day is coming to an end soon, Sergeant." My eyes opened and I glared at Dysley as he looked at me.

"Hmm? Something's off." He tapped his chin and smiled wickedly. He held out his hand and a PSICOM guard gave him a leather whip. I eyed the item for a second and returned to glare at him, my eyes full of hatred. _Come if you dare. Try to break my spirit!_

"Tough aren't you." He sneered and brought the whip down across my face, its lash stinging against my flesh. I held in my breath and glared at him again, refusing to utter a sound. He cringed a bit at my willpower and continued to rain blows. The sound of the whip echoed and nothing escaped my throat, not a peep. Dysley stood there, panting heavily as he looked at me, my blood dripping to the ground. I lifted my head and looked at him, blood trickling down my face. I smirked, my eyes shining brilliantly.

"We'll see how long you'll last Sergeant. Until tomorrow..." He snarls and left. I released my held breath and shook my head, trying to release some of the pain. Those lashes fucking hurt.

* * *

**A/N**: Done with this chapter. Hoped it was ok. Please take my poll, it'll help with the continuation of this story.


	27. Chapter 26: Angelic wings and a Sword

**A/N**: Chapter 26 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to those who have reviewed this story.

* * *

**Chapter 26: Angelic wings and a Sword**

_Lightning's POV..._

"Wakey Wakey O'pitiful l'Cie, your day has arrived." My eyes opened lazily as Dysley's voice reached my ears. Some PSICOM grunts released me from my chains and led me to the vehicle. The harsh sunlight flashed in my eyes and I squinted, stopping in my tracks. It's been a while since I saw something so harsh.

"Keep walking." One of the grunts spoke, jabbing my back with his gun. I haven't eaten for weeks, they kept me chained up without food and I really wanted to beat someone up badly. Instead I just grit my teeth and continued walking, refusing to allow his taunt get to my head. We reached the vehicle and my hands were put into shackles as well as this really heavy collar fitted on my neck. I choked at the tightness and I realized that it kept me from talking.

"You...bastards...re...move...this...thing..." I spat since it was cutting off my air supply whenever I spoke.

"Be quiet and get inside the vehicle!" The same guard thrusted the butt end of his gun right into my stomach, the force drove me into the vehicle and I landed on my back. I grimaced in pain as the door closed and the engine revved to life. After the pain in my stomach settled, I flipped over so that my face rested on the cold material. _This is just swell, I hope that everyone else made it out safe. _My eyes closed. _As long as everyone made it up okay, I have no more...no more..._Whatever I thought next didn't come to my head because I fell asleep.

* * *

_Star's POV..._

"Hmmmm..." I looked through a pair of binoculars stationed on top of the roof of a museum not too far from the city's square. "According to the news, the execution should be ready soon." Some commotion near the square stirred and I adjusted the binoculars again, watching this vehicle pull up in the square. _They're __here_.I narrowed my eyes and snuck away to find a better view. The crowd roared with excitement as Dysley himself stepped out, he grinned at waved like he just accomplished something huge in his entire life.

"Fellow citizens, for the longest time Cocoon has suffered from the invasion of Pulse l'Cie, fal'Cie and l'Cie beings. We leave in fear and fight for our survival constantly, now it is the time to stop all of those horrible nightmare and fight together!" The crowd went wild and as I looked closer, the citizens were under Dysley's spell. They can't think for themselves and have become the fal'Cie's puppets instead.

"I have brought you all a gift." Dysely smiled and snapped his fingers. A shuffle of chains could be heard and my eyes widened with terror and anger as Lightning shuffled forward. Her pink hair was messy and her demeanor wasn't like the solid soldier I used to remember. Even though she looked weak and fragile on the outside, that cold fire still shined brilliantly within her azure-colored eyes. When she reached Dysely, she was forced to kneel before him, clearly showing her displeasure by narrowing her eyes. I looked at the metal collar around her neck and the shackles that bind her hands together.

"As you all can see, this here is a l'Cie!" Dysely knelt beside Lightning. "Do you have anything to say l'Cie? Give the citizens some...words of wisdom." She glared and spat in his face. He wiped it off slowly and rose to his feet. Unknowingly Lightning was actually shivering slightly, her mind preparing itself for what Dysely might do next.

"This l'Cie here seem to be a little...irritated." Dysely addressed the crowd. "You think all superior beings are scary and need to be terminated for the common good. There is no need for that, if you can subdue them they'll be kind like a sheep." He gave his guards a nod and one of them shuffled forward and pressed a button on Lightning's collar. Electrical charges coursed through her body and Lightning's pupils constricted as she fought for control. Her nerves were on fire and her body convulsed violently. She slumped to the group as the charges subsided, her breath exhaling in tiny puffs.

"Once you subdue them, they can't harm you as you can see." Dysley grinned as the crowd applauded. As I listened to him, my whole body tingled and my fist clenched till my knuckles turned white. I never felt such anger before. Suddenly the crowd started chanting, "Kill the l'Cie! Kill the l'Cie! Kill the l'Cie!" The Primarch held his hand up for silence.

"Not yet. Let's have some fun first." The guards pulled Lightning up and one by one they each got a turn to punch their captor anywhere they want. The pummeling blows echoed through the air as the crowd roared their approval. Lightning's blood splattered to the floor as she endured the blows the best she could. After 25 minutes, they stopped and made way for the Primarch himself. He looked at Lightning's bowed head with disgust before facing the people.

"It is time..." He held his staff over Lightning's head. "the finishing blow."

"SSSSSSTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOPPPPPP!"

* * *

_Lightning's POV..._

_I can't feel anything, my whole body...numb. These blows feel like irritating bite marks on my skin. I wonder...did I live a good life now? Can I leave? May I take a rest? If I closed my eyes...would I be able to return to everyone's side? Would we...still be able to have a great time together like a big huge family? Heh...impossible. I hope this ends soon... _

_ "It is time..." _Dysley's voice reached my ears._ "the finishing blow." _

_this is it...my time has come. _Unconsciously my eyes closed and I waited for the blow. What I heard next, stopped my heart completely.

"SSSSSSTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOPPPPPP!"

_That voice...Star?! _My eyes opened up and this shadow appeared above us. The guards were screaming while shooting rounds of bullets. The crowd howled with disapproval and fear. Dysley narrowed his eyes deadly. A whoosh of wings sounded and the guards tumbled off the platform. Instantly I was surrounded by white feathers. I swear I felt like I was in heaven and I was ready to close my eyes forever...within the embrace of my guardian angel.

_Don't close your eyes Light...I'm here now._ Star's voice resonated within my head and this warm feeling rushed in. I know I didn't feel it but I was crying silently, silver tears flowed down my face.

"Kill that beast!" Dysley's voice reached my ears followed by the ringing of bullets. Star's roar rendered the bullets useless and shattered the eardrums. The guards collapsed on the ground, their ears bleeding.

"Take this!" Dysley pointed his staff and attacked.

"Come forth, O'blade of judgement!" Star's voice spoke. "Slice your enemies and shine forth with your brilliance!" My eyes opened and I saw this blade form above Star's head. (A/N: I looked up some of Cloud Strife's weapons and here is my choice) With a shiny gold tint and a strong hilt, the sword shined gallantly with the sun. Star held the sword with her mouth, the blade's sharp side reflecting the sun that gave it its gold color. "Enhance Sword...Galeru." Star drove the sword down on the platform and it acted as a lightning rod, absorbing Dysley's attack and sending it to the ground.

"What–?!" Dysley stared with shock when his attack was useless. Star grabbed the sword and charged forward, slashing right and left with Galeru as PSICOM soldiers rushed in, her eyes fixed on Dysley the whole time. He jumped at the last-minute as Star rushed past, the sword managing to slash his robes and drawing blood.

"Tch...until next time." He vanished along with his PSICOM units. The crowd disappeared when the falling bodies of mutilated PSICOM units went splat on the ground. The square was empty. I got to my feet steadily, wobbling a lot and I felt myself fall...feeling Star's paw supporting me. We stayed like that for a time and I reached my hand out and she touched it with her nose. I felt the collar drop from my neck and the shackles were removed.

"St...a...r.." I looked into her topaz eyes which were brimming with tears of her own. Her angel wings shimmered into nothing along with the sword, both of them disappearing from sight.

"I'm here...Light." She replied, reverting to her human form and embraced me tightly. "I'm sorry...for everything. If I had stayed and listened to you, this wouldn't have happened!"

"N...o. It's...my...fault...compeletly..." I whispered and I fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Star's POV..._

Light fell unconsciously on the ground, her chest rising slightly to show that she was breathing a bit. _She must've endured a lot. _I thought as I morphed and placed her on my back. My brand glowed brightly and I smiled. _Even if I don't have an Eidolon, I still have a trick up my sleeve. Right now, I'll take Light back to the farm for some treatment. _I jumped off the platform and ran back to the farm with Light safely secured to my back.

* * *

**A/N**: Done. I hope it was ok.

Thanks to my poll on this story, I got feedback on what I wanted. Star's brand now gives her the ability to fly and wield the Enhance Sword she names Galeru. These items can appear simultaneously or she can use one or the other individually.


	28. Chapter 27: Hitting the road again

**A/N**: Chapter 27 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks goes to those who have reviewed so far and has given this story some love and attention.

* * *

**Chapter 27: Hitting the road again**

_Star's POV….._

We arrived at the farm and everyone greeted us with a shower of kisses and tears…mainly tears. Lightning was still unconscious so we gave her some space for recuperating and regaining strength. While she was resting, the rest of us did chores around the house. Snow and Sazh were in the field, Fang and Hope were doing the laundry while Vanille played with Emily for a while. I helped Susan in the kitchen and in my spare time, visited Lightning every now and then. We made up for lost time, chatting about what happened to each of us after the split up. I was angry at Dysely for what he did and I vowed to kill him the next time we run into him. At dinner, Lightning couldn't really pick up the utensils and she had a tough time eating, muttering to herself whenever she had trouble.

"Here Light, say Ahh!" I said, picking up her food with my utensil and waited for her to open her mouth. She gave me a skeptical look.

"HAHAHAHA look at Light, getting fed like a baby!" Fang chuckled and the table erupted into a light laughter.

"...fuck you Fang..." Light muttered to herself so that she wouldn't offend a child like Emily and she opened her mouth like instructed instead of striking back. I smiled and popped the food into her mouth.

"Chew slowly Light." I said as I continued spoon-feeding her. Fang and Snow continued laughing together about Lightning's helplessness and were oblivious to the intense stares that Light was sending their way. After dinner everyone washed the dishes and retired to the living room for movie night. Lightning took Fang and Snow outside for a bit. No one moved a muscle until they came back, Fang and Snow both had hand prints on their puffed up cheeks. Lightning had a smirk plastered to her face and settled comfortably next to me. Emily at first felt intimidated by Lightning's soldier presence but she warmed up and is now on her other side, smiling broadly. I had a feeling that Light was starting to like children now.

"They so had that coming..." Sazh, Hope and Vanille whispered as they huddled around the couch. At first there weren't enough space inside the tiny living room, everyone jostled one another for some good view. Robert remembered this huge projector screen he kept in the attic along with a really old movie projector that still works so he raced upstairs to retrieve it. Susan ushered us outside, Fang and Snow were ordered by Light to get the couch but she changed her mind and ordered them to move it back. Hope and Vanille helped Robert setting up the screen while Sazh popped two huge bowl of popcorn. The reason Light didn't want the couch was because I morphed into my huge wolf form and flattened the grass underneath with my paws for some comfortable seats. Luckily there weren't any PSICOM units that were patrolling the area so we were safe.

"Alright kids, huddle around the movie is about to start!" Snow announced and everyone sat down on the grass. I settled down behind them, acting as a large pillow for them to lean against. We watched the movie with interest, munching happily on the popcorn, though when Fang complained that the snack had no taste she whipped out her special hot/spicy sauce and drizzled some in one of the bowls. I managed to stop Emily and Light from eating that bowl and gave them the neutral bowl but everyone else munched on the flaming hot popcorn, paying attention more to the movie than the food. A few seconds later they passed out from the hotness and intense spiciness.

"Hmmm? You guys sleeping? You're missing the best part!" Fang exclaimed as she munched on the snack, it seems as though she was immune to hot spicy foods. Light and I just chuckled and continued watching. Emily fell asleep somewhere in the middle so it was just me, Light and Fang watching the movie together. Once the movie ended, we moved everyone back into the house and managed to catch some shut-eye.

* * *

_The next morning..._

"Maaaaaannnnn, I never got to see how the movie ended!" Snow complained at breakfast. Everyone sat around the table, munching happily on eggs and bacon.

"Yeah...my head's hurting just trying to think of what happened." Sazh agreed as Hope, Vanille, Robert and Susan nodded their heads.

"I told y'all not to sleep during the good parts!" Fang hollered from the kitchen, getting coffee.

"WE DIDN'T SLEEP! THE POPCORN WAS JACKED UP WITH HOT/SPICY SAUCE!" They gave her angry glares but Fang brushed them off.

"Not my fault you guys don't have the guts to handle intense hot/spicy sauce." She retorted while Light and Emily snickered. I smiled at the liveliness. Today was the last day on the farm before we head out to Dysley's place: Orphan's Cradle. Everyone packed up and headed out.

"Watch your health dearies." Susan gave everyone a hug, Light tried to keep a stoic soldier look but she allowed the hug. "If you ever need help, you know where to find us."

"If we have time, we'll stop by your place every now and then." Light assured her. I gave Emily one last hug, the poor child was crying her eyes out.

"I'll return someday...I promise." I told her gently. She nodded her head and watched everyone walk away.

"EVERYONE!" She called out after us. "BE SAFE! WE'LL WAIT FOR YOUR SAFE RETURN!" We looked back and smiled, every single one of us. It was a promise. We waved goodbye and disappeared, leaving the farm behind.

* * *

**A/N**: Done. The race is on towards Orphan's Cradle and Dysley.


	29. Chapter 28: Race Circuit Crash

**A/N**: Chapter 28 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks to those who have reviewed so far.

* * *

**Chapter 28: Race Circuit Crash**

_Lightning's POV..._

We continued our journey to where Dysley resides, Orphan's Cradle. Not far now, we could picture our destination in our mind, picturing our victory which spurred us to pick up the pace. At times Star would give us a lift and we covered much more ground.

"Look over there!" Vanille pipped up and Star screeched to a stop, whimpering slightly at her burned paws from rubbing on the hard cement a little too quickly.

"Poor Star. A quick kiss for both paws~Chu!" She kissed Star's paws and danced over to the object she spotted. I swear Hope and Fang were giving Star some dangerous glances but she completely ignored them. We approached the item and Vanille was already investigating it with curiosity.

"You know, I don't remember this being here before. I guess it's new, huh?" Fang spoke, her arms folded across her chest.

"Yeah, must be." Vanille agreed. "I suppose it might be a record of what happened. You know, after we turned to crystal." She approached the item and reached out her hand. A green light shimmered and a small projection screen appeared, words in Pulsian language ran across the surface. Vanille began translating.

"'Cocoon, where the slaves of Lindzei dwell, is the enemy of all life fostered by Pulse's sacred hand. So our fal'Cie determined Pulse's will, chose l'Cie and gave them a Focus: Become Ragnarok, and bring about the end of Cocoon. And so the beast arose, defeated Lindzei's hateful fal'Cie, and prepared to tear Cocoon apart. But Her Providence betrayed our l'Cie, draining Ragnarok of strength. Their Focus only half complete, the l'Cie were taken to the enemy's land...by Barthandelus, curse his name. And the Goddess said: "'L'Cie who rest upon Cocoon will reawaken, however long they may wait. And Ragnarok will rise again, to tear the land from its seat in the sky." Her word...is absolute.'" The small projection disappeared and Sazh sighed loudly.

"Guess the jig is up." He commented, sitting on the hard concrete.

"Cocoon is done for, isn't it?" Hope asked.

"Hey, don't sweat it." Sazh replied. "If we go ahead and smash Cocoon, you know some Maker's sure to roll up and save the day!"

"As long as fal'Cie are around, this fight is never gonna end." Snow stated, trying to get everyone's spirit up. "So let's finish it. Let's get Dysley!"

"So what do we do about Orphan?" Sazh asked, standing up abruptly.

"We help Orphan." Fang answered. "What else can we do? If we can manage to keep it safe–"

"Another war breaks out somewhere down the road." I interrupted her, shaking my head. "We're l'Cie. It's not like we can make people stop fighting." Everyone fell silent.

"Lightning," I raised my head to look at Hope. "You told me on Cocoon. It's not a question of can or can't. We just do it. That's our only choice this time. Maybe it won't do much. Maybe only one person will listen to us. But even then, isn't trying better than doing nothing?" As he continued his speech, looking at us directly in the eye, I couldn't help but smile because he was my pupil. He was such a coward in the beginning but now, he lifts his head and takes things in stride, thinking carefully and planning his next moves. That is worthy of a soldier. Vanille laughs and dashes forward, shaking Hope's shoulders with excitement.

"Because ripples can make waves!" She exclaims happily.

"Okay, kids have gone crazy." Sazh shrugs his shoulders.

"Revolutionaries always get called crazy." Fang laughs.

"When I was on Cocoon, I wished on those fireworks." Vanille told us, recalling her memory. "I wished to not let anything happen to Cocoon this time. But I shouldn't have wished for that." We waited for her to explain her words and she turned around to smile at us.

"Wishes aren't enough. Prayers either. This time I'm making a promise: I will keep Cocoon safe. I promise, no matter what."

"Guess it takes losing everything to make you see how much you have to fight for, huh?" Sazh agreed.

"And we're the only ones who can do it. Right?" Snow pats Hope on the back, grinning.

"Right." Hope replies. Everyone grins, their spirits lifted and they all had a goal in mind.

"All right then." I spoke. " Let's tie up loose ends." We quickly made our way to an airship and as we got ready, I thought I could hear Vanille's voice talking in my mind.

_Even if we were chasing shadows, our minds were made up. We'd realized along the way that choice was the only __thing we had left. Maybe we'd fall short. Maybe we'd never even come close. But someone, someday, would know we'd tried. _We flew over Gran Pulse and made our way back to Cocoon.

* * *

_Eden (Seat of the Santum)..._

Cid Raines strode towards the glass window, peering out at the busy metropolis. The sound of footsteps could be heard behind him.

"Your Eminence. It is time. The people await your address." Cid didn't comment but raised his hand. The soldier spun on his heels and walked off. Making sure that no one was in earshot, he uttered one line, "And so we greet the new dawn." He turned around and walked away.

* * *

_Grand-pix Race..._

_People of Cocoon. My fellow citizens. We have survived the twilight, and gather now to welcome the dawn on which we decide our fate. Many are the lessons we have learned during our long night of hardship and sacrifice. And now we face choices, which must be made as our hearts dictate, and not abandoned to uncaring chance. Let us forge ahead with unflinching courage. And honor the fallen with action. With these hands we shape the future. _ Cid Raines's address opened the ceremony for the race and the racers thundered off on the tracks. Not a moment too soon when our aircraft burst into the scene. Every single one of us had our Edolons by our sides, except for Star but that didn't faze her one bit.

"And the hero saves the day!" Snow's grand entrance line...of course. He raised his arm to acknowledge the whoops and hollers until the camera zoomed in on his brand.

"Probably should've covered that." He said, embarrassed. He jumped off and rode his motorcycle down the track.

_Intruders on the race circuit! Confirmed Pulse l'Cie! All units respond with lethal force! _

"Catch me if you can!" Snow taunted as gun shots fired. Hope waited for his chance and stood on the track, staring face to face with a giant robot thing.

"Hi there." Hope said. The thing tried to smash him but Alexander smashed it instead.

"Cut em' off!" He instructed and Alexander started cutting off the racers. Everyone along with their Edolons created havoc on the tracks as PSICOM soldiers fired guns and bazookas in our direction. Let's just say that they couldn't handle our thunder. While everyone was enjoying their mischievous behavior, Odin and I raced off to take care of the main target. Star was off ripping enemies with her claws, fangs and for the finishing touch swinging Galeru around to lop off the soldiers heads. That what I love about this group: All business, team work and causing chaos for fellow soldiers.

* * *

**A/N**: Gonna stop here for now. Hoped it was okay!


	30. Chapter 29: Cavalry makes their move

**A/N**: Chapter 29 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks to those who have reviewed.

* * *

**Chapter 29: Calvary makes their move  
**

_Star's POV..._

Light and I, along with Odin, raced down the track towards Orphan's Cradle. Everyone else followed close behind though Fang stayed to cause more havoc. Vanille had to pull Fang's ear to get her to stop beating up some soldiers. Anyway back to us. We were getting close when this Anavatapta Warmech fell from the sky and obstructed our path. Looks like a scorpion with razor blades and a tail if you ask me. I screeched to a halt and sat on my haunches, tongue lolling out. Light gave me a look and I tilted my head at her.

"You don't wanna fight?"

_You can handle it yourself_. I grinned, pulling my lips over my canine teeth. Light shrugged, mumbled something inaudible and spurred Odin into action. I think she said something about being lazy but I just wagged my tail. She cleaned up that machine so fast that the others were left standing there with their mouths wide open.

"What's that sound?" Light looked up in the sky with confusion. We all looked up, ears on alert but we couldn't distinguish the sound.

"Let's move." She led us off before siren wails out and soon we had patrol cars zooming down the track to arrest us. Or at least that's what we thought. As we made our way along the tracks, we picked up some radio communications wired from speaker to speaker. Thanks to Sazh and Hope, they managed to rig up the communication hotline to a damaged radio that still worked. We listened in to the latest news.

"_Say again, patrol. And speak clearly_."

"_The armies of Pulse! They're using transgates!_"

"_Transgates? How many coming through?_"

"_Numbers unconfirmed. But it's a full-scale invasion! Eden's being overrun!_"

"Transgates? Never heard of them." Sazh spoke as the communication system ended there.

"They're portals that allow objects to move from one place to another. Which may have happened to me. I must've fallen through on of those gates when I first arrived on Cocoon." I licked a paw, my tail twitching back and forth nonchalantly.

"We have to go now." Light barked and we left the radio behind.

* * *

_Cid Raines's HQ..._

"An army of creatures is attacking the city. It's a Pulse invasion force." A PSICOM soldier addressed Cid, who sat in silence, watching the chaos erupting outside. He couldn't hear the screaming citizens nor could he hear the destruction. He could only watch.

"Your Eminence, we must evacuate!" No sooner had the soldier spoke, a mysterious group of Cid's elite forces shot him down.

"So, Raines– is this the Cocoon you dreamed of?" Rygdea's voice spoke as the said man walked up to view the city with his own eyes.

" My dream is but a fal'Cie's fancy now." Cid spoke calmly. "End it." Rygdea sighed and with trembling hands pointed the gun to Cid's head. A shot rang out. More PSICOM soldiers barged in and saw Cid's limp dead body. Rygdea and his men started shooting and the whole HQ turned into a battlefield.

"Damn idealism. Ya feed it blood, and it howls for more!" Rygdea spat angrily and he led his soldiers out of the room.

* * *

_Light's POV..._

We could see the building shooting up in flames. Everyone's speechless.

"What is going on out there?" Snow asked in bewilderment.

"It looks like the Cavalry's made their move." Hope explained.

"There's more to it than that." Sazh noticed an ear piece that was probably abandoned by one of the soldiers and picked it up. "They're saying Eden is crawling with Pulse nasties, just like the radio we heard from earlier."

"Fresh off the Ark, I'd wager." Fang smiled gleefully.

"This is out of control. What will happen to Cocoon?" Sazh angrily threw the ear piece on the track.

"It's all-out war." I spoke, walking to the head of the group, my eyes trained on the explosions.

"Did we cause this by coming back?" Hope asked. Then he shook his head, "Barthandelus's prediction– it's all coming true."

"Well his future stops right here." Snow spoke. "We're the ones who decide what happens next. "

"Let's get moving." Vanille added.

"Right." Hope agrees and we marched forward. We got to a section where the Grand Pix circuit was completely destroyed from unknown sources.

"Uh, I don't know about this." Sazh's wavering voice tells the rest of the group that he wasn't really committed to jump from such a height. The part that was suppose to connect the track was at ground level and we were about...let's just say we were long ways up in the sky.

"If only we could fly!" Vanille leaned over the edge in inspection. I looked over and I see Star grinning her wolfish grin like there was no tomorrow.

"See you all down there!" She takes a running leap and disappeared below the clouds. I follow suit, knowing what she had in mind and everyone followed us. Vanille took a little longer because she called us crazy morons but sucked it up and took a leap of faith. We broke through the clouds and that's when Star spread her wings, breaking her own fall and literally hovered in mid-air. Everyone else crashed into her, luckily it was a soft landing.

"I'm never EVER gonna jump again." Sazh moaned loudly, gripping the black fur tight.

"You could've warned us next time you were going to pull such an antic! I almost broke a hip!" Vanille scrambled to the head and pulled Star's ear angrily.

"Well maybe that's how they get around on Cocoon. Free-falling from unreal heights and using a wolf as a cushion." Fang smiles wide.

"That's how Light gets around." Hope corrected her and we all laughed.

"Take us down there Star." I pointed in the general direction and she complied, tucking in her wings and spiraled downward toward the unsuspecting PSICOM soldiers. We startled the soldiers since they weren't exactly paying any attention to a huge group of L'Cies dropping in. Quickly dispatching them, we made our way down to the lower level. Track cars zoomed past us at fast speeds.

"So the Cavalry's here to, uh..." Sazh whispered his question once the cars disappeared.

"They're here for Orphan." I helped him out. I turned to the rest of the group. "If it's close to the fal'Cie Eden, they're probably headed for the heart of the Sanctum." Vanille clasped her hands over her mouth in a small gasp.

"Right. And if they destroy it, bad things are gonna happen." Hope added.

"Then we better get there before they do." Snow spoke.

"Uh-oh." I muttered when a transgate appeared and a Behemoth King appeared. "Let's move!" I roared the command and jumped onto the track.

"Hey wait!" Sazh sputtered and tried to follow but more cars appeared and nearly ran him over. I stood poise as the animal knocked cars back and forth. Unsheathing Blazefire Saber, I somersaulted forward and struck forward, only to be blocked. It growled and swung an arm in my direction. I managed to block it and the force sent me tumbling backwards.

"Lightning!" I heard Snow's voice and I stopped my momentum before making a face plant on the hard track.

"Super...Wolf...Kick!" A blurred shape flew past my vision and the Behemoth King roared with anger and pain, falling backwards onto its back.

"And she sticks the landing like a boss!" Star announced, landing on her feet with grace. Since using the wings took up most of her energy and she's been in her wolf form for quite some time, reverting back to human form is a good way to charge back up.

"Hope, write this down." Snow whistled in amazement.

"Snow I don't have enough room on my notepad for your list of, 'Ways to Avoid pissing off the females in our group'." Hope had his little notepad and indeed he was running out of room.

"This will be quick." Snow smiled. "Star + human form + Super Wolf Kick = deadly. There...that's all."

"Looks like someone knows their math equation." Vanille giggled.

"Focus guys, we're on a battlefield. There's no time to slack off!" I spoke as the Behemoth got to its feet.

"I'll give him more than just a kick this time!" Star smiled and the Behemoth King roared just as eagerly, a footprint mark could be seen on its face.

* * *

**A/N**: Gonna stop here, sorry for the late update! Hoped it was good, R&R please.


	31. Chapter 30: We are still human

**A/N**: Chapter 30 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

A special thanks to those who have reviewed, I really appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 30: We are still human  
**

_Lightning's POV..._

A word from the wise: Never make a Behemoth King mad...ever. Considering the balance between stealing a Chocobo's egg from the nest and making fun of Fang's hair when she gets caught in a rainstorm, I think she looks pretty good with her hair straight and sleek but she wants it in that wild-style of hers, it makes her look more "feral" or "badass" as she says. Anyway making a Behemoth King mad is off the freaking charts. He just attacked us all, not paying any attention to his surroundings or whether or not his attacks hit us.

"Watch your backs!" I would yell as I rushed forward.

"No problem Light, leave this to me!" Snow's voice shouted and he dashed in front of me, his grin flashing.

"Snow don't be stupid!" Hope frantically shouted.

"Don't worry kids, I'm the hero! Heroes don't die easily!" Snow pumped his fist and the Behemoth King loomed over him. "C'mon big guy, show me what you got!"

"GGGGRRRRRROOOOOOOHHHHHHH!" The Behemoth King roared furiously, swinging his weapon around.

"Alright, STEEL GU–PUEH!" Snow didn't even get to finish his Steel Guard tactic when the Behemoth King smacked him with his weapon. That attack sent the blonde hair flying and he landed in a heap.

"Ugh that idiot." I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. Star just fell down laughing so hard that she started crying.

"Even the Behemoth King hates Steel Guard!" She told me after her laughing subsided.

"That move of his is gonna get em' killed ya know." Fang called over, lance in hand.

"We know that but he has his own way of doing things." Sazh replied.

"Whatever, forget about him. We can take care of the Behemoth ourselves. Nille! Get those healing spells going!

"I know Fang, I know!" The red-head snapped and started conjuring up some healing magic.

"Good girl Nille, that's how you use your hands. Star, give me a boost!"

"Alright!" Star morphed into her wolf form and grabbed the huntress lightly by her sari.

"One...Two...Three!" Star gave Fang a huge boost, flinging the huntress high in the air. Using the boosted momentum, Fang came falling downwards like a meteor and stabbed the Behemoth King in the head with her lance. He roared angrily and took a swipe at Fang.

"HAAAIIIYAAA!" Fang unleashed her signature move Highwind and hurled the Behemoth straight up into the air.

"Okay Pinkie, he's all yours!"

"Fang how many times do I have to tell you don't call me Pinkie!?" I growled as I flashed forward, Blazefire Saber glistening menacingly. I jumped up and started swiping, hacking and attacking the suspended Behemoth in the air. Star helped out too, using her fangs to rip her enemy to shreds. We managed to finish off the Behemoth and right after that three more monsters appeared, a fish head stuck upon a hopping birds body. Far down there were PSICOM soldiers and other types of monsters.

"We'll never get through this." Sazh said with a sigh.

"Not with that attitude we won't." Vanille replied cheerfully. I loved her enthusiasm and I had to agree with her.

"Come on. We still have a long way to go."

* * *

_Star's POV..._

We made our way across the field, jabbing at monsters left and right. Making our way along the long winding path, we run into our old friend, the silver haired guy.

"Rosch." Snow sounded astonished to see him.

"I see your power has grown, Mr. Villiers." was Rosch's response. He gave the rest of us a look before continuing. "No matter. We will lay down our lives if that is what it takes to stop you."

"Oh, we're on the same side here." Snow answers, "We came back to stop all of this!"

"Nevertheless, you are l'Cie. We can trust the pawns no mare than the fal'Cie who move them. Humanity's fate rests in its own hands!" Rosch's body disappeared into this machine, The Proudclad and attacked us.

"Everyone scatter!" Light's command sent us flying in all directions, avoiding the first round of attacks: rockets.

"Woah, hot doggie these rockets are homing rockets!" Sazh jumped behind some rocks as his rocket flew right past his hiding place and crashed into a nearby building.

"No wonder this thing won't leave us alone!" Hope shouted as he followed Sazh's example of jumping behind some rocks and allowed his rocket to crash into a nearby pile of rubble. Fang and Vanille managed to blow up their rockets with magic, Light disengaged her's with Blazefire Saber while Snow used Steel Guard to withstand the impact. As for me, I treated my rocket as a frisbee (don't try this at home kids). Catching it in my jaws, I threw the rocket back at the Proudclad. It exploded in its face, smoke obscuring its vision. I rushed in and gashed my claws down its armor before racing back under cover. Each person had their own turn attacking, almost like guerilla warfare. The machine was getting fed up, angrily attacking the empty air. This kind of attack pattern was taking a toll on our enemy for defending our unpredictable wild attacks and attacking the empty air depleted its energy pretty fast. On top of that, while attacking the empty air it left the machine wide open for an attack, the perfect opportunity to strike.

"That's all she can take! Fall back!" Rosch's voice was heard after Snow's attack managed to blow off a huge chunk of armor and Fang's attack managed to destroy the circuitry inside. The machine backed away from us and flew off, reluctant on continuing the battle with us. We glanced at the retreating figure, our eyes like those of a hungry eagle or hawk.

"I don't understand–we want the same thing! Why can't we just work together?" Vanille huffed angrily.

"These people are so blinded by fear, they can't even imagine it. Are we too late?" Fang asked as she turned to us for advice. Snow of course boldly steps forward.

"Not yet. And we can't give up– no one else knows the truth. Am I right?" He directed that last part to Lightning.

"Only we know about the plan to destroy Cocoon." She confirmed it, nodding her head in agreement.

"And which fal'Cie is behind it. Barthandelus." Hope added his own voice in the matter.

"So what are we waiting for? It's time for some payback." Fang grinned happily.

"That's what I'm talking about." Sazh smiled. "Once everything is finally out in the open, people are gonna have to wake up from this nightmare!"

"Let's show 'em how human we still are." Lightning ordered and the rest of us followed her towards where the Proudclad disappeared, each step we take is taking us closer and closer to the Primarch himself.

* * *

**A/N**: Done with this chapter, I hoped you enjoyed it! :D


	32. Chapter 31: Our old Nemesis

**A/N**: Chapter 31 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

A special thanks to those who have reviewed, I truly appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 31: Our old Nemesis**

_Light's POV..._

We took the elevator to the lower level and stumbled upon some soldiers fighting against a huge Adamanchelid, a huge if not colossal elephant thing, not a very challenging enemy. We could have slipped past the guards since they were occupied with that beast but no, Snow had to be the hero and he rushed to protect one of the soldiers that was locked out of the safety building and thus, making it our problem as well.

"Star..." I whistled for her and she trodded up to my side, looking down at me with those huge topaz eyes. I pointed my finger at the Adamanchelid and spoke one command, "Maul". Bearing her teeth, Star rushed forward and tackled the Adamanchelid head-on. Roaring angrily, the Adamanchelid retaliated by using its tusk to shove Star off. Snarling, Star's fur burst into flames and she rushed in once more. The Adamanchelid stomped its' legs angrily and braced itself from the Flaming Star attack. Learning what Fang told her about this particular opponent, Star went for the legs instead of the full-frontal assault tactic. The Adamanchelid couldn't adjust to the sudden change and it was forced to fall on its back, leaving its' legs exposed to Snow, Sazh, Hope, Fang's attack. After it got defeated, the PSICOM soldier aimed his gun at us.

"L'Cie!" He stated in a shaky voice. We turned to him, waiting to see if he would pull the trigger on us but Snow held up a hand to stop us from advancing forward. The soldier scrambled to get away from us and disappeared without looking back.

"Let's go." Snow turned around and walked away with us behind him. We made our way to the other side which inconveniently is blocked by a huge door or gate. The only thing we see is a little red symbol that looked like a key hole but of course, no one has a freaking key.

"So close!" Snow bangs his fist on the door in frustration.

"We'll find another way in." I assured him.

"We don't have time for that!" He shouts back and hits the door again. The door made this loud pitchy noise that made everyone cover their ears. The door creaked opened and we got into fighting positions incase something attacked us.

"Gate got you beat? Hero?" A voice called out and Snow's eyes widened in surprised.

"Pretty lame." This time it was a female's voice. Two vehicles zoomed over head and landed not too far away.

"Heya, Snow. Where ya been?" A small teenage boy named Maqui shouted as he waved to us. Apparently Snow's buddies from NORA dropped in on us.

"So Snow..." The man with blue hair named Yuj eyed the blond man sternly. "You are a Pulse l'Cie now huh?" The rest of us looked down in nervousness. Snow just showed them the brand on his arm.

"Yeah, good times."

"Then why didn't you tell us? Why the hell didn't you come and find us?" Yuj sounded hurt and betrayed by Snow, by his leader.

"Yeah, we've been waiting." Lebreau the bar tender spoke as she sent Snow a little wink.

"Us and the rest of the Purge fugitives." Maqui added excitedly.

"But damn, those Pulse fal'Cie sure know how to pick 'em." Flame-colored hair Gadot shook his head in disbelief that Snow was chosen for the most important mission of a lifetime.

"Yeah." I spoke before Snow had a chance to explain himself. "Out of all the idiots in the world, they choose this one." The whole group burst up laughing.

"Hey, hey, hey, now wait just a minute here!" Snow flabbergasted tried to explain the situation. " I am your fearless leader. You're not supposed to laugh at the boss!" An explosion not too far was heard and the group directed their attention to that blast.

"Just like old time's huh Boss?" Gadot smirked.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of the civilians." Lebreau smiled.

"You just worry about saving Cocoon." Maqui excitedly added.

"We all will. Together." Hope said confidently. Snow chuckled while ruffling the boy's hair. Promising to keep the other civilians safe, the NORA gang took off while we continued towards the Primarch ourselves.

* * *

_Star's POV..._

We arrived to this area where little transparent crystal shards appeared to be floating in the air.

"What the–" Sazh looked around in puzzlement. We watches as more of the tiny particles floated around as if they had nowhere else to go. We tried to hold them in our hands, well for me it's my paws, but they seemed to elude us.

"What is this stuff?" Vanille asked as she tried to grab one. All around us, these tiny things started floating up into the air. Fang tried to grab one but it slipped out of her reach.

"Huh. Some sort of crystal?" She spoke.

"I don't like this. Is Cocoon falling apart already?" Sazh asked.

"Could be. Maybe Orphan's having trouble holding things together with all this fighting going on." Hope answers back, looking at the little crystals.

"The clamor of this conflict rouses the Maker." Dysley's voice boomed overhead and his image was huge as he chuckles at us. It was like a huge HD T.V. screen except it was an actual hologram of the Primarch himself.

"Yeah? Well, we're gonna stop this ruckus soon enough." Sazh shouts back. Dysley smiles before appearing in front of us, his staff in hand.

"Can you halt the Cavalry's charge?" He asked us, "Filled with righteousness, they will slaughter Orphan in the name of only recourse will be to deliver them death, swift and certain."

"No." Light responded angrily. "Unlike you, they'll listen to reason."

"We will see about that." Dysley laughs to himself. "I shall savor the demise of Cocoon from atop the highest seat in all of Eden. You, too, should hurry along to the heart of our grand capital. Your loved ones miss you so." He rose up into the air like the sneaky bastard he was. "Come, l'Cie. Fulfill your destiny!" He booms down before disappearing.

"Your destiny...We'll decided our own destiny!" Hope shouts after him.

"Right––over Barthandelus's dead body." Light agreed with him before leading us down the path to the grand capital of the city. We entered a grand area and everyone looked around with wonder and amazement.

"So this is the heart of Cocoon." Fang spoke, nodding her head at the sight.

"It's incredible!" Vanille squealed with delight.

"That's where Eden sits, controlling all of the other Cocoon fal'Cie." Hope informs us as we looked at the tall structure. "It's also where we'll find Orphan, the battery that keeps Eden running."

"Good to know." Snow spoke, dismissing that little information. "So what's the plan?"

"Your usual plan." Light replies, feeling Snow's eyes on her back. "Charge in through the front door, what else?"

"Right, the front–hey!" Sazh tried to call Light back as she walked away. "What're you–? Where are you going?" Soon a lot of PSICOM soldiers showed up along with a Behemoth King and a couple of Juggernauts that came from the gates.

"I hope those are our back up units." Sazh looked hopefully at the monsters that approached us.

"Well if it is, I don't think our back up is happy to see us!" Light replied sarcastically as we pushed through, attacking left and right at the oncoming enemies. If I wasn't so huge, I wouldn't have been able to swat the enemies out of our way. Running ahead of the gang, I snapped my fangs at the enemies who either ran away or died by my attacks. Thinking of a better plan, Light ordered everyone to pile up on top of me as I rampaged through the lines of weak opponents. In my rage mood, I only realized that I ended up inside the building itself. Everyone hopped off and we walked closer to this broken down machine. Suddenly it roared to life and we were suddenly facing our old friend The Proudclad.

"He really wants us dead!" Fang exclaimed as we were thrown into battle with our old nemesis.

* * *

**A/N**: Done with this chapter, I hoped you all liked it! :D


	33. Chapter 32: Orphan's Cradle

**A/N**: Chapter 32 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light._ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

Special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it!

* * *

**Chapter 32: Orphan's Cradle**

_Light's POV..._

"Keep that rear guard secured!"

"Snow, I'm gonna need some of yer buffs !"

"Vanille, I need some more magic spells to cover Sazh." All around commands were flying through the air as we attacked our old friend The Proudclad. The old damaged machine sent missiles and other deadly objects our way. Snow was on guard duty, Sazh fired his guns to keep the monster at bay, Fang and I were the main attackers while the medics were busy throwing cures and other helpful healing magic to keep us running.

"Watch Out!" Fang calls a warning and we all ducked as a massive energy surged passed, obliterating everything that couldn't make it out of the way in time.

"That thing still has that much power? Thanks for the early heads up Fang!" I nodded in her direction for that quick reflex of hers.

"Just doing what I do best Light! Glad to be of service!" Fang smiled in response. The two of us charged at the enemy, weapons drawn. That huge energy blast sapped the energy out and it takes a long time to recharge. Using this kind of strategy, Fang and I took turns attacking. Piece by piece, bit by bit, The Proudclad started to lose power and finally crashed, unable to continue the fight. As the smoke cleared up, we saw the staggering figure of silver-hair Yaag Rosch. His breath came out in painful wheezes as he stumbled toward us, some blood trickled down his face.

"Rosch, it's over".

"What of my soldiers?" He asked between coughing fits. Looking around us, we couldn't really form into words the loss of his men.

"I see."

"Why are you doing this Rosch?" Sazh spoke, "I mean, haven't you done enough?"

"Enough? Under fal'Cie orders, I've orchestrated mass murder. All to answer the fears of a panicked populace. For a people utterly dependent on the fal'Cie, it was the only solution I could offer. Even if that solution was a farce"

"There could've been other solutions..." Star murmured to herself but quietly listened.

"Then, you knew the fal'Cie were using us?" Hope countered.

"I believed their rule was best for Cocoon's present and future prosperity. But it seems I misjudged their benevolence. If this is my punishment," He looked at the litter of bodies that were once his soldiers, "I accept it."

"So, you're just gonna let everything go to hell. Is that it?" Fang asked, quite astonished at her enemy's quick haste for death.

"You're right. One thing remains." Struggling to stand, he placed a communication device to his ear. "This is...this is PSICOM Director Rosch. Attention all PSICOM and Guardian Corps units. Suspend l'Cie operations. I repeat, suspend l'Cie operations. All units should focus their efforts on evacuating the civilian population. I do not issue this order as an absolute. You are free to make the choice." With that he suddenly dropped the ear piece and fell on all fours, gasping for air.

"Rosch!" Snow moved forward in surprise but Rosch halted him in his tracks.

"Go. You're here to save Cocoon, aren't you? Or was that a farce as well? Snow grimaced with pain as well as admiration for the fallen man. Walking briskly past Rosch, Snow turned and spoke, "Stay alive. We'll see you when it's over." The rest of us followed Snow, glancing back before disappearing through the corridors on the other side. Rosch watched us go before another noise reached his ears. Looking up, he saw two Behemoth Kings prowling towards him. The scent of blood mixed with fear might have attracted them to the area.

"I'll trust in your humanity, l'Cie." Rosch spoke, grabbing a grenade. "The fate of Cocoon is in your hands." The beasts inched closer and closer to their wounded victim.

"This is my end." Rosch stumbled to stand, "The end which I have chosen!" Unable to resist the urge, the monsters rushed upon him and Rosch was ready. He removed the safety pin.

* * *

_Star's POV..._

We managed to distance ourselves from Rosch when this rocky explosion sounded. The others turned to look back, completely aware at what just happened. Vanille tried to run back but Fang held her back, shaking her head in disapproval before moving forward. We took the elevator down into the heart of Edenhall and popped up in the Reliquary, which kind of looks like the inside of a church without the biblical pictures. Roaming around we found that there wasn't a soul around, not even those monsters from the outside.

"Where's the Calvary?" Vanille asked, feeling uneasy with the lack of attendance.

"If they made it this far, we'll see 'em soon enough." Fang responded As if to add onto that, some crystallized beings stepped out from behind the pillars. Those that have fallen before rose once more with their brethren.

"Not them too...They're all Cie'th!" Snow complained. Suddenly the walls shook and the glass windows caved in, the statues of angels glowed an eerie glow and soon the whole place was surrounded by a white light. Once it died down, we weren't inside a building but in this weird dimensional hoax called Orphan's Cradle. All around us were these floating platforms or pieces of debris from other realms.

"This is it." Light spoke, "A lot of dreams died to get us here, and we can't let it be for nothing."

"You said it. It's not just our future we're fighting for." Sazh added his input.

"We'll do it for everyone. Fal'Cie rule ends here." Hope agreed.

"Dysley! We're coming for you!" Snow had his hero's pose on when he said that line, the fire was burning in his eyes. We managed to avoid confrontation with the Cie'th, unless Snow and Fang decided to bash some to get warmed up in the future fight with Dysley then we had no choice but to destroy them. Making it to the other end, the three angels from the statures floated down, blocking our way. Casting some sort of magic, they conjured up three little transgates and disappeared in a flash. Upon inspection we realized what was going on.

"That–that looks like a gate to Gran Pulse!" Vanille looked at one of them closely.

"A last gift from Barthandelus?" Hope sounded a little sarcastic there. Looking behind us we realized that the platform we used to cross has disappeared completely, leaving us with the three gates.

"If we're gonna run away, now's our chance." Sazh threw out his opinion in hopes that we'll take it.

"Not entirely, look!" I pointed as one of the angel statues descended or should I say materialized and pointed out the possible route that would lead us to our goal. We followed the path, jumping around from piece to piece. At some points the angel decided to be a troll and used her magic to rearranged the structure completely, making us go around in circles.

"Where's this end?" Fang asked with annoyance.

"If there is one, I can't see it." was Sazh's remark.

"I can't do this. All these Cie'th were once people, like this." Vanille had her hands clasped together as though she was praying for those lost souls.

"But that's what Barthandelus is going for." Hope stated causing heads to turn and all eyes laid on him as he explained. "Don't you see? Make us feel guilty, lose faith...And the second we give up, it's Focus time."

"Wait till we're broken, then slip on the leash." Snow mumbled, getting at what Hope was trying to say.

"Yeah, well, when you think about it..." Sazh let out a huge sigh as he addressed us. "Having all this empathy? It puts us humans at a big disadvantage."

"Maybe. But it's also what makes us dangerous." Light stated before walking forward. We followed her but Fang held back, a frown on her face as though a dark thought entered her mind.

"Fang?" Vanille noticed her friend's strange behavior and trotted up to her. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that time is running short." Fang tried to hide her worries from Vanille and replied nonchalantly.

"It's okay." Vanille said calmly, reading Fang's emotions like an open book. "My mind's made up this time." Fang gave her a black glance, trying to figure out what Vanille is saying.

"We'll just make Cocoon our home." Vanille looked at Fang imploringly with those adorable puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah...I guess we will." Fang smiled at the thought as she and Vanille walked back to the others who waited patiently. The resolve to defeat Dysley and save Cocoon from destruction was on everyone's mind and we were determined to make it happened.

* * *

**A/N**: Sooooo sorry for not updating sooner, too much things going on and less time on story writing :(. However I'm trying my best to create new chapters for this story as well as others for your enjoyment. See y'all next time!


	34. Chapter 33: Barthandelus's Demise

**A/N**: Chapter 33 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

A special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 33: Barthandelus's Demise**

_Light's POV..._

"Guys! I found a way out of this place. Our next destination should be that Primarch himself." Vanille's voice calls out as the red-head disappeared behind the door that awaited us. Hurrying up to catch her, we left the weird dimension and came upon a vast white room.

"Looks like a medical room." Hope looked around.

"Yeah I see all sorts of good herbal medicine and healing potions." Vanille appeared, grabbing a few to take. "It wouldn't hurt for us to replenish our strength."

"Vanille is right. Grab at least 2 potions for when we suffer heavy damages. Hope and Vanille, stuff as much as you can into Star's bag, we might need them later." The two of them hurried along and stuffed 5 more jars of the gooey substance into the brown bag. Together we approached the door that will open to our awaited battle.

"Ready?" I gave everyone a look and they looked back confidently. The door opened and we walked into the room, the chilly air rushed forward to greet us. It would seem that we have entered Dysley's room and we took a look around. The ever monopolized machine clocks rotated for all their worth, their gears clinking and turning without anyone to pull their strings. Beneath us was the Primarch's throne, empty and some golden symbols graced the white granite. Behind the throne there was a large-sized pool area, its' water glimmered slightly as though something was lurking within. Sensing our presence, the room trembled slightly.

"This is it." Snow spoke shakily but he had his hero's grin on.

"Moment of truth Hero." I replied and jumped down to the first level. Everyone followed my lead and we noticed the tiny shimmering shards that floated in the air around us.

"Little lights," Vanille looked at them, holding out her hand to touch them, "just like in Oerba." We took a moment to look at the lights until Dysley's voice spoke.

"Life's spark shines on, once freed from its fleshly shroud." Two crystallized pillars appeared before us and it shimmered with a radiant light. Once it died down, we recognized what it was immediately.

"Dajh!" Sazh's voice was full of agony as he stared at his son's body, locked within crystal coffin.

"Serah!" My voice and Snow's were in unison but we hardly realized it as we stared. However it was Star's voice that made us jolt with surprise.

"My home world!" Star smiled as she looked at the wonders of her planet. Using his mirage skills, Dysley conjured up a transgate to depict the planet Zoralth, which hovered between Dajh and Serah.

"That's your home planet?" I gave her a look but she walked forward for a closer look.

"Yes, that is it. That's where I truly belong! I have to return, everyone is waiting for me!" Before I could reply, in flew that pesky owl Minerva and Dysley appeared, sitting on his throne as if nothing was new. It was like he perfected his introduction by rehearsing.

"Dreams, meanwhile, shatter in a flash." Lifting up his staff, he destroyed Dajh's crystallized body, and then Serah's. "Next, I will show how I can use my powers to effect even worlds that are within my grasp." We stared in shock when Zoralth began to freeze over with crystals. All of the woodland creatures fled in terror; some didn't make it and their bodies turned to crystal. Finally focusing on his prize target, the scene shifts from the woodlands to the plains and we saw a pack of wolves, idly minding their own business.

"Don't hurt them!" Star cried but we watched as the ground started to crystallize and the wolves were caught by surprised. The thing that hurt my heart, was when a baby wolf cub, barely a month old, started to turn into crystal and he raised a feeble paw for his mother's help. Unable to help her cub, the mother rushed off with the other wolves and wailed loudly with grief at her loss. Howling with rage, Star charged forward with Snow right beside her. He couldn't bear to see Serah's crystal body damaged and he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"AHHHHH!" They charged together and Snow was thrown back by Dysley's defense, laying on the ground dazed. Star managed to break through and slashed Dylsey with her claws.

"Argh…..sneaky devil." He waved his arm and pushed Star away with a strong attack. She tumbled away and bared her teeth, getting ready to charge once more.

"Vanille, calm her down before she hurts herself even more!" I ordered before kneeling beside the man, "Think Snow, where's the real Serah?" In response, he brought out the crystal tear, its' blue shade brightened by his touch. Vanille managed to get Star under control, her hand stroking the sleek fur in a comforting manner. The wolf was trembling with self-control but kept her burning eyes locked on her enemy.

"It isn't real." Sazh aimed his gun at Dysley, "It's just fal'Cie smoke and mirrors."

"Yeah. They don't work wonders. They play tricks." Hope agreed. Behind us the door to our escape was sealed off and Dysley's laughter filled the room.

"At last, my errant l'Cie." He eyed each and every one of us. "Men fight men. Men battle beasts. Cocoon wars with Pulse. There can be no end to such conflict. But Cocoon's end is imminent and inevitable. Will you not at least slay Orphan, and make it quick? As an act of mercy?"

"'Mercy'? You mean 'murder.'" I countered as I felt my comrades gearing up for battle beside me. "And Cocoon won't die. We're not here for that. We came for you." I pointed my gunblade in his direction. Dysley spat with rage, shaking his head with despair at our decision.

"Such willful insolence. Disappointing." Rising up into the air, he looked down upon us, "You prolong Cocoon's suffering. And to what end? Refusing me but condemns another to face your Focus tomorrow. If you truly seek salvation, you will obey!" Calling his pet to him, they merged and we were faced with his true form once more.

"Everyone, battle positions now!" I barked and we rearranged ourselves; Fang, Star and I were in the front, Sazh and Snow were our back-ups, leaving Vanille and Hope as our healers. We braced ourselves for a tough fight.

* * *

"You have no hope, l'Cies." Barthandelus's voices hissed. "Accomplish your Focus and gain eternal life!"

"We'll see about that!" Fang rushed forward, swinging her lance with all her strength. I dashed to the right and fired off bullets from my weapon. With his attention diverted between the two of us, Star took the opportunity to slash her claws down his face.

"Stay still you annoying flies! Take this!"

"Watch out!" Fang shouts as Barthandelus smashed his claws down and opened his mouth.

"Here it comes, Thanatosian Laughter!" I shift to Combat Clinic just as the attack hit me.

"Lightning!" Fang calls out to me just as Ultima came crushing down upon the group. This spell was released after Thanatosian Laughter like a chain reaction; there wasn't any way to defend and we absorbed some heavy damage.

"Hang on you guys!" Vanille and Hope sent healing spells our way while Sazh and Snow used buff spells to cover us. Recovering our strength thanks to our healers, we got back into attack mode.

"Star, give us a distraction now!" Knowing what I was asking for, she dashed ahead while Fang and I followed. Plowing into Barthandelus, Star kept the enemy from moving, as he struggled to comprehend what was going on. Fang and I used Star as a ladder, jumping off and landing squarely on our opponent's over-sized body with our weapons drawn.

"Get off, l'Cie." He snarled, realizing what was happening but it was a little too late.

"Ready Fang?" I gave my partner a look.

"As always Light, I'll never leave your side." She smiled back and we poured all of our strength into our signature moves.

"DAMN YOU L'CIE!" Barthandelus roared angrily, as he tried to shake off the pain.

"Now's your chance, Star!" I jumped off and Fang followed suit. Twitching her tail in acknowledgement, she pushed Barthandelus back with her paws and unleashed Flaming Star, her flame-lit fur struck her enemy full on and he stumbled back from the sheer impact. Slowly he starts to sink miserably down into the pool of water, groaning and moaning.

"Hey! Put a lid on it!" Sazh shouted with annoyance as Barthandelus disappeared underneath the shimmering surface.

"Release...At last release!" were his last words and then no more, the surface remained still.

* * *

**A/N**: Done with this chapter, I hoped you liked it!


	35. Chapter 34: Orphan's Battle Part 1

**A/N**: Chapter 34 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

A special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 34: Orphan's Battle Part 1**

_Star's POV..._

"It is done." Light's voice had that semi-relief tone to it as the rest of us lowered our defenses, happy that the fight was over. The shimmering surface of the pool in which Barthandelus disappeared under didn't even release a single air bubble. He must be dead already. We rejoiced as our victory until we heard the beating of wings.

"It's that bird!" Hope shouted as Menrva flew above us.

"Catch it before it goes back to Dysley!" Snow aimed a Blizzaga at the flying machine but it dodged, swooping closer to the pool. A quick shine of radiant gold light enveloped it and it disappeared below the surface. Suddenly the water rippled and the floor heaved as immense power erupted.

"A heaven, yea." Two voices, a male and a female, spoke from the waters and the creature rose from the depths. A massive red eye looked down upon us as the gargantuan fal'Cie continued to grow. "Yet it must fall ere we be saved Too frail a shell, and humans should not thrive." A massive crystallized hand smashed against the ground, sending us tumbling backwards. "Too stout a shell, and they would not die. Slaughter and salvation! Two irreconcilable Focuses we bore. Yet bound were we in a cocoon prison impervious to our power." Taking a closer look at it, this one was a constructed in the form of a blade-like shell from Barthandelus's dying body, combined with elements of the fal'Cie's impression of Lindzei, as an angelic figure, projecting from the right side with her face is also present on the wheel's plates on the back. It was truly terrifying.

"And so we thank you, for granting us our longed-for birth."

"Dysley?" Snow questioned because we all could hear his voice, along with the angelic voice of a female.

"No. Not anymore." Sazh answered.

"We are the Abandoned One, born but now to die. Our name is Orphan. By our hand, the world shall know redemption."

"Get ready!" Light's order sent us into position as we prepared to fight against Orphan. To start off, our opponent unleashed Merciless Judgement. Rising all the way out of the water, we were able to see his long blade body and he sliced downwards, causing a wide-area damage and affecting the entire group severely. Hope and Vanille quickly started to throw healing spells our way while Sazh and Snow stood on guard. Planning on taking out our weakest unit, he aimed for Hope and Vanille constantly.

"Guard those Healers! Don't let them get injured in this fight!" Noticing what Orphan was trying to do, Sazh and Snow fell back to defend them on Fang's orders.

"Damn it, is there anyway to damage that outer shell? Using Merciless Judgement against us is pretty bad and we don't know when he will use it." Light growled with irritation.

_Try to poison him. _I fell back to analyze the situation.

"Poison?" She gave me a questioning look.

_You know? Poison. If you can poison him, it will not only wound him but it'll also give us a chance to hit that mark._

"I like that idea Wolf. Come on then." Following Fang's example, the two of us used Blitz to get close to Orphan. "Light! Once Wolf and I make our move, hit em with your best poison skill!" She shouted back to Lightning who was waiting on standby.

"Those who wishes to purge us for our sins, feel the redemption within our grasp." Orphan murmured as he swung his single hand in a slap motion. We dodged it and Fang used her lance to impale that hide. A slight crack appeared but it wasn't large enough to leave a decent wound. Going in for the kill, I dug my fangs into the hide where the lance was lodged and, twisting my head in an upward arc, ripped off a huge chunk. Orphan roared with pain and swatted me aside.

"Now Light!" Fang shouted and taking her que, Light rushed towards the opponent as Sazh and Snow covered her with their buffs.

"You wretched l'Cie!" Orphan squealed with anger but couldn't react in time.

"Take this!" Light snarled and attacked the open wound. The pain that Orphan suffered upon contact must have hurt like hell for he screamed in agony. Leaping away, we could see the wound was now green in color, infested with tiny bacteria that started to spread the poison.

"Y-you..." Focusing immense power into the next attack, Orphan released Merciless Judgement followed by Progenitorial Wrath. The second attack struck us without warning and it was blistering.

"C-come on, one more attack and he's through!" Light's words tried to encourage us but because of that Progenitorial Wrath, everyone ran out of magic fast, even Hope and Vanille were having a hard time distributing healing magic.

"Light, we can't keep this up any longer." Fang panted, her knuckles embraced her lance tightly.

"We just need one more attack, that's all we need!" She snarled back, anguished that we couldn't put together a measly attack that will knock Orphan out.

_I'll do it._ I padded to the front, glaring hard at the smirking face of Orphan. _I'll attack him once more. _

"You can't be serious?! You're magic is about to run out, how can you possibly–" Vanille stopped when I summoned Galeru to my side. I haven't used the sword for a long time but having it next to me was comforting.

_If I can't use any magical powers... _I gripped the hilt of the sword tightly in my mouth. _I'll resort to physical attacks instead. _

"Foolish l'Cie, succumb to despair." Orphan spoke. "If you don't know the meaning of fear, I'll engrave it within your body!"

_Not if I destroy you first!_ I rushed forward, oblivious to the immense powerful aura erupting from Orphan.

* * *

_Light's POV..._

"Star, come back now!" I ordered but she didn't listen. We all felt the power rising and a dreadful feeling swept around the room.

"She's gonna die!" Vanille spoke.

"This is suicide!" Hope shouted.

"I'll save her." Fang stepped forward but I held her back. "Move Light! She won't make it!"

"...yes she will." I watched as the distance between Orphan and the beast narrowed. "You have to trust her."

"But–"

"Do you not trust her?"

"...I do. It's just frustrating to be waiting here."

"Just wait." was my response as we waited.

"Grrrrrrrrrr... stay still will you?" Orphan gritted his teeth as he attacked over and over. With nimble legs, Star dodged and blocked, her eyes firmly locked on him. _That gaze..._Orphan registered as one who doesn't know the meaning of fear at all. It shook him down to the core and he was slightly trembling as he tried to take down this massive whirlwind.

_I'm going to attack him...just one attack should be enough. _Star whispered to herself as she blocked another spell._ Let's go! _Deflecting off the remaining attacks, she charged.

"GROOAHH!" Unleashing every once of power, Orphan fired spell after spell, trying to keep her at bay. The spells danced around the room and the rest of us had to take cover.

_Now! _Flashing forward, Star shot like a javelin straight toward Orphan. However...

"No way!" We gasped as Orphan raised his entire body out of the water and avoided the attack that would have ended his life.

"Too bad for you. This is the end! Merciless Judgment!" Orphan came down straight and impaled the beast to the ground.

"Urkkkkkkk!" Star's eyes narrowed as she struggled to free herself.

"Are you trying to escape my grasp? You can't so why don't you lay there silently. Or better yet..." Orphan's glee grew bigger as he twisted his body in a circle.

"AAAHHHHHH!" The pain intensified as Orphan applied pressure on the wound. Blood flowed faster as Star writhed on the ground as she felt the insides being torn away.

"STOP IT!" A round of bullets hit Orphan and he stopped rotating, looking at the group. I stood there, Blazefire Saber drawn with the smoke visible from the gunfire.

"Oooh so sorry to forget about you. Let's play then." Instead of coming out straight and clean, Orphan bent back slightly and aggressively slashed Star's back open as he freed himself. A fountain of hot liquid sprayed out as more bubbled from the fresh wound. Star couldn't even utter a peep as blood poured out from between her fangs.

"DAMN YOU!" I roared at him while the others could only gasp with anguish.

"Sad? I couldn't care less about what happens. You will follow the same fate." Orphan spoke as he raised his hand.

"Here it comes!" I took a stance and the others followed. _Even if we don't have the magic necessary for this, we'll fight till the end. _

* * *

_Star's POV..._

_ This pain, it's hurts so much. My mind is going haywire. My back was slashed and I can't feel my hind legs...they must be paralyzed. Am I going to die? _As thoughts whirled around my head, I could see Orphan charging up for that attack, Progenitorial Wrath. I saw the others bracing themselves.

_I must..._Tilting to the side, I noticed Galeru impaled not too far from where I was. I must have dropped it when Orphan impaled me. Crawling over, ever movement caused a spasm that rocked my body so intense that I almost fainted. _No, not now, I must... _I reached my sword and gripped it with my mouth. Blood slowly flowed from the hilt down to the tip. _I barely have enough strength left... _I gritted my teeth in anger and looked up. Orphan's hand was about ready to release the attack. _Damn there isn't enough time... but what can I do? _I looked and saw the answer. _There..._

"Good bye l'Cie!"Orphan roared.

_ For you! _Gathering my remaining strength, I flung my sword and it sailed in the air, straight and true. It struck the back of Orphan and rocketed through the previously infected wound that we originally dealt earlier.

"H-h-how did you..." Orphan turned his eyes on me with surprise.

_Go Light!_ I looked at her and she understood. She rushed forward with Fang right beside her. Together, they attacked Orphan in one last effort and with combined strength, they managed to secure the final blow.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Orphan screamed his blood curling scream and then submerged back into the depths of the water.

_Beautiful..._I watched his demise with mesmerized eyes, a grin stretched on my face before another spasm wrecked my body. I fell back, eyes shut closed as I waited for the shock to subside but that wasn't the case. Wave upon wave, the shock came again and again, each one more powerful than the last.

_What's...happening...to...me?_

* * *

Light's POV...

"Star, what's the matter?!" I quickly rushed over to my fallen comrade and noticed her body jerking and convulsing non stop. The blood started to trickle out more than ever.

"VANILLE!" I roared to get her attention and she hurried over.

"What's this?" She inspected the wound and gasped. "Oh no!"

"What's wrong?" I inquired, dying to know the answer. She gave me a serious look.

"When Star got impaled, Orphan must have used one of his tricks to install a relapse spell."

" A relapse spell?" Fang asked.

"It's like a time spell. When an event such as this one occurred, applying a relapse spell makes the victim relive the moment again. Right now, Star is reliving the moment when Orphan impaled her. This is bad, the more she relive the event, the pain from each experience is intensified upon the wound."

"Damn!" I hit the ground with my fist. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Luckily this spell is easy to counter. Come here Hope." Together they applied their own magic upon the spell.

" A few more minutes...and there!" The spell deactivated and the convulsing stopped.

"Now about this other wound..." We looked at the ghoulish wound that almost split our partner in half. It was so deep you could literally see right through. Only a few muscle ligaments were attached, the rest cut or barely hanging like hair filaments.

"How dreadful..." Snow and Sazh shook their heads and went to sit down a few feet away to give the others some space.

"Hope, would you mind working on the other side?" Vanille instructed.

"Okay." He replied and knelt on the other side.

"If Hope and I can patch up the wound on both sides, the insides should heal in time. Right now we need to stop this blood flow." The blood was already covering the bottom of our shoes.

"Vanille...she's not breathing." I had my fingers against her snout and noticed that there wasn't any air coming out.

"She must be unconscious...the pain must have been terrible. Come Hope, let's get started." Our healers started to apply the basics, their minds focused. I watched them for a minute before stroking Star's muzzle without a thought. Her fur lost their luster and was laced with blood, her eyes were still closed. I couldn't hold back the sadness any more and I leaned against her, closing my eyes.

_Please... please open your eyes. I don't want to experience the pain of losing anyone anymore so please..._

* * *

**A/N**: Done with this chapter. I hoped you enjoyed it. Orphan's battle is split into two parts so the next battle will the final one.


	36. Chapter 35: Back from the Netherworld

**A/N**: Chapter 35 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

A special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 35: Back from the Netherworld **

_Star's POV..._

I opened my eyes, looking around groggily. Everything around me blurred a bit before I came into focus. _What the?! _I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't tricked and realized that I wasn't in a room anymore. The grass tickled my feet while the wind played with my hair. It would seem that I ended up back home.

_I'm back on Zoralth? I'm back home?!_ I sniffed around, every single rock, tree or small creatures. _I...I truly returned! _Throwing my head back and yowling to my heart's content, I rushed off to find my family. I found them, rolling around in the grass or basking in the sun.

_I'm home! _I raced down to join them. When I approached the first wolf, I reached out to touch him but astonishing my hand just went right through him.

_Huh? _I looked at my hand and then looked at the guy. I tried again and again to touch him but each time I tried, I just went right through him. He didn't even notice the differences as he walked to the lake for a drink. It was then that I noticed that I wasn't physically there, my body a part of me. I was just a wandering spirit.

_I can see them but they can't see me... _I looked at everyone, at their smiling faces. _Isn't this the paradise I crave? The feeling to run free and not worry about anything? Yet... _I placed my hand over my chest, feeling my heart's soft beating.

_Why is it that I feel something missing? _

* * *

_Light's POV..._

Vanille and Hope were hard at work, patching up the wound. Star still wasn't breathing and it's been a little too long.

"It's...almost...done..." Vanille wiped some sweat from her brow as she concentrated.

"Just...a little...more..." Hope winced as his arms trembled. The wound shriveled up inch by inch but something was holding back its regeneration.

"Why won't it close up?!" Vanille grunted with annoyance as she stared at it. They only had a little bit more to go.

"Vanille...let me rest...a minute." Hope sat down, resting his arms.

"Come on now, don't give up." Vanille urged as she got ready for another healing session.

"Alright then..." Wiping off some sweat with his scarf, Hope poured all of his energy into the wound. Slowly but surely the wound closed up, leaving a small scar as a memento.

"All done!" Vanille clapped her hands with relief.

"A job well done Vanille, good work." Fang nodded as she walked over.

"Now about the breathing part..." She walked over to the front and touched the snout. It was still moist, not ice-cold like the dead. "Her nose is still in shape, but not breathing like this could lead to death."

"Then what's wrong with her? You already patched up the wound but she's still not waking up."

"My best guess is..." Vanille place a finger on her cheek as she answers, "She's lost in that life and death border as a wandering spirit. In other words, she's in the netherworld."

"How do we get her out of that? Do we have to die in the process?" Sazh asked.

"No silly. Someone just lays next to her..." Vanille snuggled up near the head as a demonstration, "closes their eyes and go to sleep."

"That's it? Sounds easy enough. I'll do it." I strode over and cuddled up.

"Are you sure you don't want me to do it? I never thought you'd be the cuddle type." Fang offered but I shook my head.

"Orphan could arise anytime so you're in charge until I get back."

"Okay Light, I understand. I'll hold the fort here and we will await your return."

"See you guys later." I nodded and closed my eyes, silently willed myself to sleep.

* * *

_Star's POV..._

I followed the pack as we bounded over the endless sea of green, my body seemed to move on its own. It felt like I was running on air because I was a spirit but I managed to keep up with them. We probably ran for a while before the pack stopped to rest. I padded among them but they didn't seem to notice me.

_I can't even communicate with any of them...why am I here then?_ I looked at them with sadness. A movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I slunk away from the rest of the group. Making my way down to what looks like a lake, I saw the saddest, if not heartbreaking, scene of my life. Two wolves, a female and a male laid along the banks, their tails entwined. The female had her head resting on her paws as she stared at the surface of the water while the male looked at his mate with worry. Hoping to cheer her up, he gentle licked her ears and whined softly. The female in response licked her mate's muzzle and nestled against him for a bit. It took me awhile to realize that they were my parents but they looked so old. Their fur wasn't that shiny coat color and they were patches where clumps of fur fell off.

_It's been awhile since that time. _My father stated.

_It has._

_What are you thinking about Silver? Are you...still thinking about... _

_Please Shadow...I don't want to talk about it._ Silver mournfully interjected.

_I know it's hard my love, but we can't just let the past weigh us down. Our pack needs us. _Shadow spoke_. I'm sure she's in a happy place. _

_Don't... _Silver whirled on him, snarling. _Don't you EVER think or even ASSUME that my baby is DEAD. She ISN"T! _

_ I'm just as sad as you but we need to face reality! _He bared his teeth. _There is NO chance of her returning and you know it! _Silver broke down in tears as I tried to swallow my own, my heart breaking bit by bit at the conversation.

_I am...terribly sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry... _Shadow lightly buried his nose within my mother's fur, his tail wagging a bit.

_Sniff...it's okay..._Silver sighed. _I wish to be alone..._

_I understand. _Shadow curtly bowed his head and trotted back to the pack, turning his head once in a while to make sure his mate wouldn't stress herself out. Another wolf rushed over to meet Shadow half way.

_Is mother going to be okay?_ He asked.

_She will be...just give her a few minutes. _

_ Is it...because of that incident? _

_Son...no one blames you for that day. Rest assured. _Shadow placed a paw on his son's shoulder but the young wolf shook him off, looking away with guilt.

_ If I wasn't so weak...she would still be here with us. _

_ Wait...Rhyder?! _I stared at him. He was almost a full grown wolf and the way he carried himself could mean that my father was slowly losing dominance within the pack. Soon my younger brother would become the alpha and command everyone, leaving my parents to fend for themselves.

_I should have just left the pack, no one needs a weakling like me around..._ Rhyder stumbled away, ears low and tail low. Shadow wanted to console his son but thought better of the situation. He sat on his hunches and quietly mourned himself. I couldn't last a minute watching this scene and I just bounded away, my tears flowing freely as I placed some distance between us. Slowing down into a trot, I stared at the ground. My heart was pounding painfully against my chest from all the running.

_My parents are so torn up inside... even my brother's spirit was crushed. Maybe the entire pack...they all cared for me. My disappearance...I didn't it affected them this badly. _Laying down, I placed my head down on my paws. _If I could turn back time, I could have prevented this from ever happening. My family wouldn't have to endure this pain alone. _

"That is impossible." A sinister voice chuckled and I bolted upright, a growl accompanied the act.

_ Where are you? _

"I am here!"I turned around and came face to face with Barthandelus.

"You won't escape today!" Laughing he swiped a claw at me.

I can't move?! I angrily snarled as the blow knocked me off my feet. I felt myself falling my entire surrounding cracked like a glass mirror and I continued to fall within the space.

* * *

At some point, I found myself laying absolutely still and in my human form, the space and vicinity was dark and cold. Flashes of my home and my parents crossed my mind and I whimpered.

_I've never felt...so alone. _I curled into a ball, hoping that my end was near. Suddenly my eyes saw something, like the light at the end of the tunnel. Getting up on shaky legs, I made my way to the source and stopped.

_Light...is that you? _It was true, Lightning was literally standing right there. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things but she didn't disappear. As if sensing my hesitation, she calmly walked up and wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm here...we are all here." Light's voice whispered within my ears.

_We? Who else is here? _I looked around and I saw them, their shimmering spirit appeared right beside Light. Fang, Sazh, Snow, Vanille and Hope, all of them together, their smiling faces were the real deal.

_How? I don't understand. _

"Your heart called out to us so here we are." Vanille spoke.

"That's right. We just couldn't let our friend go before the fun stuff happens." Fang grinned.

"We still have a world to save." Snow added.

"You're not calling it quits are you?" Sazh asked.

"We are in it together. This battle isn't over yet!" Hope said.

"See? Everyone has the same wishes, the same dreams, the same goals." Light held out her hand. "What do you say? One more chance?"

I choked back tears as I placed my hand on top of hers. These were my friends and they came for me when I was lost and alone.

_Yes..._I looked that them, a smile was spreading across my own lips. _One more time... _A bright light engulfed the entire space, swallowing up everything dark and banishing it from the realm.

* * *

Light's POV...

I awoke back within my own body. Shaking the sleep from my eyes, I realized that everyone was crowded around me, each of them with their eyes closed. A sudden whoosh of air startled me and I looked at where the sound was emitted from. A topaz colored eye stared back at me playfully as the whoosh sound continued.

"You...welcome back." I smirked as a huge tongue licked my face. "Eeew, I don't appreciate that." A wolfish grin was my reward.

"Welcome back Star!" The whole gang woke up and started giving out free hugs, sadly I was caught before I could escape their death grips.

"Ahahahaha thanks guys." Star spoke. She shrunk down to her human form in order to save her strength for the upcoming fight. All of her wounds were healed, thanks to Vanille and Hope.

"We are family, that goes without saying." Vanille smiled as she grabbed Star into a bear hug.

"Thanks Vanille." Star smiled as she looked at us. "Thank you...everyone. You guys are the best." I noticed the sliver of tears trickling down her cheeks and I smiled.

_Those weren't tears of sadness but instead, they were tears of pure joy and strength. These emotions are what makes us humans and it strengthen our resolve to save Cocoon that much harder to shatter. We will save our home without a doubt, that is our goal.  
_

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**A/N**: Done with this chapter, I hoped you enjoyed it!


	37. Chapter 36: Orphan and Ragnarok

**A/N**: Chapter 36 of _Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light_. Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.

A special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

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**Chapter 36: Orphan and Ragnarok**

_Light's POV..._

"AHAHAHAHAHA" The shrill laugh of Orphan rejuvenated around the room as the full-body of the fal'Cie rose from beneath the depths. He rose, his body in the shape of a rotating clock. Water cascaded down beneath his radiant body and his eyes opened to reveal...nothing but a soft glow, he didn't have any pupils which doesn't surprise me.

"You've overreach yourselves." He continued, his body continued to move clockwise like a gear.

"No we overreach you." I stated calmly.

"Is that so?" He asked with confidence, waiting for an answer to that claim.

"You don't believe in anything." I walked up, looking at him straight in the eye. " You gave up on life before you were even born. Sat poisoning Cocoon from the inside, waiting for someone to come and destroy you. Sure, you think the end of the world is salvation. All you care about is death's release. So take it, and leave the rest of us alone." Orphan calmly stares back as I continued to patronize him. "We don't think like that. When we think there's no hope left, we keep looking until we find some. Maybe Cocoon is past saving, but it's our home. And we'll protect it or die trying! We live to make the impossible possible! That is our Focus!"

"AAAHHHHHHH!" Orphan just roared angrily and we were thrown into battle. Once more, Fang and I were the lead attackers, Sazh and Snow were set as back up while Hope and Vanille were our healers. Ever since the incident with Barthandelus, I refused to let Star attack first so I had her set as body guard for the healers. She defied a bit, saying it was okay and that she won't get hurt in battle but I didn't want to take a second chance.

"Just protect the healers!" I spoke since she gave me that puppy pout and I almost had the urge to cave in.

"...I understand..." She replied not so happily.

"Hey, don't be like this." I gave her a hard stare. "If our healers aren't protected, then we're gonna have problems."

"I know Light, you just don't want to witness the pain I suffered from Barthandelus again...even now I shudder just thinking about it." She looked up at me and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll protect those healers no matter what."

"Good." I smiled as I remembered that little moment before battle. Somersaulting forward, I slashed Orphan with Blazefire Saber before firing the round of bullets to accompany the flawless attack pattern I trained to perfection. Growling Orphan swiped at me and I avoided the blow, falling back to allow Fang do her thing. While Orphan was busy defending against Fang and anticipating my next attack sequence, I noticed a number above my head. It started at 4800 and then I realized it was the Doom spell.

"Shit, we have to kill him fast! Snow! Old man!" I barked at them.

"Right! Your hero has arrived!" Snow rushed forward immediately, using his Provoke skill and Steel guard combo to take most of the attacks sent our way.

"Looks like this crazy ride is about to be aborted." Sazh sighed as he lifted his guns, the chocobo chick chirping happily from within his afro. "Let's make this something worth remembering!"

"Don't forget, we are in this together!" Hope called out to us with that cheerful grin of his.

"We have to save Cocoon no matter what." Vanille added.

"Stay focus and stay sharp. We can do this." Star encouraged us.

"Look at your pathetic selves." Orphan spoke as he brushed Fang off. "Rallying each other for a helpless cause, what's the point. I will crush you all here and now. With your group out of commission, Cocoon will have no choice but to smash against Gran Pulse and all of the life from both worlds will surrender to the darkness and suffocate a horrible death."

"That's where you're wrong!" I growled, swiping him with my blade. "We keep fighting to live, to survive while you curl up and weep on how useless you truly are. We will defeat you and save Cocoon!"

"We shall see about that!" Orphan threatened.

"Light!" Fang looked at me with a smirk.

"Alright, don't fall behind now." I nodded. Together we charged, dodging or deflecting whatever attack that came for us.

"No, how can this be?! HIT THEM DAMN IT!" Orphan screeched as he poured more energy into his attacks.

"Go!" Hope shouted.

"C'mon Light! Do it for everyone's sake including Serah's!" Snow pumped his fist in the air.

"You can do it!" Vanille cheered.

"Ain't nobody gonna stop you two, not even him." Sazh smiled.

"Hit him where it hurts!" Star exclaimed.

"You hear that Fang?"

"You bet Sergeant!" Fang replied with a grin. "Let's nail em' hard!"

"Copy that."

"DAMN YOU! RRRAAAGGGGHH!" Orphan continued to scream as Fang and I rushed forward, closing the distance. Orphan's attacks became uncoördinated and very predictable to dodge or block.

"T-this..." Orphan whimpered, his eyes narrowed to slits. "T-t-this can not BE! I REFUSE TO BE DEFEATED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!" He roared his last defiance as Fang and I cut right through.

* * *

_Star's POV..._

We saw Fang and Lightning burst through the other side and Orphan self destructed from the massive damage...literally. His agonizing screams continued to wail out as he sunk lower to the ground, plumes of smoke billowed out of his destroyed body.

"We're here to stop him. We've come to save Cocoon, right?" Light spoke to us and we answered back with no hesitation as our two attackers fell back into step. Behind Orphan was this meticulous eye-shaped architecture and its glowing light enveloped us, our brands started to glow as well. Outside, the rampaging creatures from Gran Pulse stopped to watch the blue light. Suddenly I felt myself floating into the air, like gravity lost its grip on me.

"Stick together!" I heard Light's order and I reached out my hand, which she gripped tightly. Hope held on to my other arm and he linked up with Sazh and Snow. Looking at them, I realized that not only was our brands glowing but we were starting to crystallize...we could become statues in no time at all.

"Wait, what about Fang and Vanille?" I asked and we looked down, seeing our two friends slowly descending on to the platform.

"Fang! Vanille!" Snow shouted and they looked up with a glance. They were serious in what they were about to do and nothing in the world could veer them off from that path, their hands clasped together.

"Vanille?" Fang asked the red-head calmly.

_Wishes can come true...But not if you just wait for miracles. _"Ready." Vanille spoke and their brands shined brighter than any of ours. _Miracles are things we make for ourselves...here and now. _In a flash of light, all of the Gran Pulse creatures disappeared and crumbled into tiny crystal shards. These shards compiled into one entity: Ragnarok. It bellow loudly as Cocoon came falling towards Gran Pulse like a ball of fire. Roaring angrily, Ragnarok flew towards Cocoon, indulging within the fiery pits of lava as the planet came in contact with the outer shell of the atmosphere of Pulse. Bursting out from the bottom, Ragnarok's many arms pushed roughly against the planet in an effort to slow the celestial body down. Letting out a final cry, crystal shards from the once Pulsian creatures flew around the mass and started turning everything into crystal, even creating a crystal pillar to support everything from falling down on Pulse. The last thing I heard, if I heard anything at all was Fang and Vanille's last breathe and then nothing as my body fell into a crystallized state.

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**A/N**: Done with this chapter, I hoped you enjoyed it!

Kellyn131: This is a response to your question! I do not have an Xbox 360 or a Playstation so I don't have the game... sadly. I wouldn't call it writing by memory since I'm using the walk through as a reference guide while throwing in some of my own ideas.


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